The highly anticipated John Wick spin-off, "Ballerina," starring Ana de Armas as the determined assassin Eve Macarro, was released in North American theaters on June 6, 2025. Directed by Len Wiseman, the film seeks to carve its own unique space within the popular action franchise, offering a narrative described as more of a down-and-dirty, back-to-basics revenge tale, focusing on Eve's personal vendetta rather than the operatic scope of the mainline "John Wick" films.

Director Len Wiseman emphasized his intention to differentiate "Ballerina" from its predecessors, particularly in its action style. The vision was for Ana de Armas's character, Eve, a neophyte assassin, to possess her own distinct energy and fighting voice. This translated into a "survival action" approach, where Eve often improvises and utilizes her surroundings, drawing inspiration from films like "First Blood." De Armas's physical capabilities, such as her proficiency in kicks, were actively incorporated into Eve's combat language, ensuring that the action sequences also conveyed her character's emotional journey and desperation.

"Ballerina" is punctuated by several inventive and memorable action set pieces, meticulously designed by Wiseman and the 87eleven stunt team to offer fresh thrills:

Flamethrower Battle: A standout sequence features a practical, close-quarters "gun battle with flamethrowers" utilizing real fire. Wiseman highlighted this as a spectacle he had never seen before in cinema, even including a moment where a combatant purposefully ignites his own leg to use as a weapon. The scene aimed for raw, visceral intensity.

Grenade Confrontation: Conceived by Wiseman as akin to a "snowball fight, but with grenades," this intense indoor, close-quarters scene relied on practical explosions. The set was cleverly designed with trap doors and hidden sections to facilitate long, continuous takes, thereby amplifying the tension and immersing the audience in the chaotic exchange.

Ice Club Fight: This sequence showcases Eve's resourcefulness under pressure. Facing enemies in an ice club where traditional firearms are restricted, she utilizes rubber bullets and creatively transforms a pair of ice skates into formidable weapons, swinging them like a mace. This concept evolved from Wiseman's initial sketches to a fully choreographed spectacle.

Lodge Fight: Set in a rustic lodge environment, this intense confrontation was partly designed to achieve a specific, striking visual: a "silhouette samurai" image of Eve, played by Ana de Armas, unleashing her fury against a backdrop of roaring fire, which was intentionally set to create this dramatic tableau.

Eve vs. John Wick: A pivotal and much-anticipated moment in the film is Eve's confrontation with the legendary John Wick, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. This fight, filmed in a freezing, practical outdoor location, was carefully choreographed to synthesize Eve's emerging survivalist style with Wick's renowned and established combat prowess. For Wiseman, directing Reeves in a John Wick fight scene for the first time was a personal and professional thrill.

Central to the narrative of "Ballerina" is the enigmatic and formidable organization known as "The Cult," which serves as the primary antagonist and a rich source of lore for Eve Macarro's journey:

Eve's Personal Vendetta: The Cult, under the leadership of the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), is directly responsible for the death of Eve's father. Her father had been a member but chose to leave the group, taking young Eve with him. After years of training with the Ruska Roma under The Director (Anjelica Huston), Eve embarks on a relentless mission of revenge against the Cult, a journey that leads her to uncover painful truths about her family's past, including the tragic involvement and fate of her sister, Lena.

Ancient Origins and Influence: "The Cult" is revealed to possess a deep and shadowy history, having been in existence for approximately 1,000 years, making it contemporaneous with the establishment of the High Table. This ancient lineage contributes significantly to its entrenched power and pervasive influence within the clandestine world of assassins.

Relationship with the High Table: While the Cult operates independently and does not serve the High Table or adhere to its stringent rules, the two entities maintain a working, albeit cautious, relationship. Members of the Cult are notably permitted access to Continental hotels, partly so their unpredictable actions can be monitored. The Cult is widely feared, even by families loyal to the High Table like the Ruska Roma, due to its distinct, almost religious code and operational autonomy, which Wiseman described as feeling "more like a religion than it is an assassin tribe."

Future Implications and Conflicts: Eve's climactic confrontation with the Cult, culminating in her killing of the Chancellor, is expected to have significant and lasting repercussions. The film teases that the Cult will not let these actions go unanswered and will likely continue to hunt Eve. This sets the stage for potential future conflicts, further exploration of this clandestine organization, and a possible bounty on Eve's head in subsequent installments of the franchise.

Regarding the film's production, director Len Wiseman shared insights into its visual aesthetic, particularly the challenge and goal of creating a neo-noir atmosphere within snow-heavy sequences. For this, he drew visual inspiration from films like "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "30 Days of Night." Wiseman also addressed and clarified reports about reshoots, stating that Chad Stahelski, a key figure in the John Wick franchise, stepped in to cover some scenes during "additional shoots" in Budapest. This was necessitated by Wiseman experiencing a health scare and was primarily to incorporate action sequences that had been previously cut from the original script due to scheduling constraints, rather than an extensive overhaul of existing footage.

Upon its release on June 6, 2025, "Ballerina" garnered between $3.5 million and $4 million from its preview screenings. With a reported production budget estimated between $80 million and $90 million, the film was projected to achieve a domestic opening weekend collection in excess of $30 million. This performance would position it ahead of the opening weekends of the first two "John Wick" films, though behind the larger debuts of "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum" and "John Wick: Chapter 4." Early critical reception for "Ballerina" was largely positive. At the time of reporting, it held a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 136 reviews, complemented by a strong 93% audience score. Critics like Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net hailed it as "action perfection" and "another fantastic installment in this series." Screen Rant offered a more moderate view with a 6 out of 10 rating, acknowledging it as a very entertaining action movie, even if it didn't quite reach the critical heights of some earlier John Wick entries.