Keanu Reeves Applauds Ana de Armas’ “Joy for the Action” as She Joins ‘John Wick’ Universe

by

John Wick is back — in some form.

Ana de Armas takes center stage in “Ballerina”, a spin-off from the “John Wick” movie series, which unfolds during the gap between the events of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” and “John Wick: Chapter 4”. In this film, she portrays a ballerina-turned-assassin who embarks on a quest for vengeance following her father’s demise. Interestingly, the main character of the original series, played by Keanu Reeves, is also featured in the new movie. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at its Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, he mentioned, “It’s not so much about passing the torch as it is about expanding the story and the world of ‘John Wick’, providing an opportunity to delve into fresh characters.

Reeves praised de Armas by saying she’s “exceptionally skilled at action scenes, yet also deeply emotional in her performances, showcasing a remarkable range. She’s courageous in her role choices.” When asked about his most memorable moments working with her, the actor reminisced, “The times that stood out to me were during our training sessions, and then when we’d start filming after they called ‘action.’ It was amazing to see her transform, demonstrating genuine enthusiasm for action sequences while fully embodying her character.

De Armas confessed that during months of preparation, each day pushed me beyond my boundaries, primarily in terms of endurance, the degree of self-discipline, commitment, and concentration required for such a movie was unprecedented for me, particularly over an extended duration.

Previously, she and Reeves had teamed up in the movies ‘Knock Knock’ (2015) and ‘Exposed’ (2016). Working together again on their third project was an extraordinary experience, particularly since it involved the character John Wick. It was incredibly meaningful to return to set, and when he showed up, there was a noticeable hush over the entire crew.

As John Wick’s fifth movie approaches, De Armas expresses her hope that Ballerina could follow a similar franchise trajectory, expressing her enthusiasm for the character by stating, “I adore this character and I believe we can explore many possibilities from where we left off. It’s incredibly exciting, I truly appreciate this character and the story, the universe, and everything that Chad [Stahelski] and Keanu have built with the John Wick films. Now being a part of it feels very unique.

Ballerina hits theaters on Friday.

Tiffany Taylor contributed to this report.

Read More

2025-06-04 21:54