Ana de Armas Takes Center Stage in John Wick Spin-Off Trailer

In less than one month, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will hit theaters, and the Ana de Armas-led spin-off flick is shaping up to serve up that familiar and lethal John Wick-brand action. In the buildup to the film’s June 6, 2025, release, Lionsgate has just shared one final trailer, and it’s as wild and action-packed as you could hope.

Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, the Ballerina timeline takes place after Keanu Reeves’ character made himself an “excommunicado” in the eyes of the High Table for killing crime boss Santino D’Antonio on the grounds of the Continental Hotel. On the run from a multi-million-dollar bounty in the streets of New York City, Wick was able to get help from some unlikely sources: the Ruska Roma crime syndicate.

Directed by the titular character’s mysterious superior, Director (Anjelica Huston), the Ruska Roma were not only a place of refuge but also a training camp for young assassins. As established in Parabellum, Director’s students were no ordinary dancers, but a full-on ballerina-assassins unit. The film’s main character, Eve Macarro, was a young ballerina in one brief early scene in Parabellum, where she was seen by Unity Phelan on stage while practicing her routines. The spotlight is now on Eve in Ballerina, with Ana de Armas cast in the lead role.

There will be a few other familiar faces making an appearance, too. Huston returns as the Director, and Ian McShane will return as Winston, the manager of the Continental Hotel. One actor who will be making a final appearance is the late Lance Reddick, who passed away in March 2023. Charon, the Continental’s concierge, has always been one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, and Reddick is a bittersweet addition to the Ballerina cast.

Other cast members that make an appearance in the spin-off include Gabriel Byrne, who plays the main antagonist of the film as the Chancellor; Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Nogi, Eve’s mentor; Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine; and Catalina Sandino Moreno and David Castañeda, who were also added to the cast, though their characters are still under wraps.

Let the Killing Games Begin

The first Ballerina trailer was released in September 2024, and the preview emphasized the new character’s backstory. She was revealed as an orphan who lost her father at a young age and was placed in the care of the Ruska Roma. Her primary goal in life became to seek revenge on the men who murdered him.

That early look at Ballerina suggested a more character-driven story, with a heavy focus on Eve and the things that drive her. John Wick was not in the spotlight much, and there was very little interaction or contact between the two. A second trailer was released in March 2025 and featured more interaction between John Wick and Eve, including an impressive close-range meeting between the two in the snow. It’s not exactly spoilery to say that fans should expect the titular character and Wick to get at least one scene together, if not a much bigger role for Reeves.

The final trailer, however, is a whole different ballgame. It opens with one of the most tense images so far, with the young assassin staring up with her hands up as Wick shoots down at her with a scoped rifle. The rest is a blur as new and previously-seen footage is cut together into one thrilling montage. As the new heroine takes on wave after wave of enemy goons, one thing stands out: the choreography of Ballerina is every bit as kinetic, agile, and balletic as ever.

Ana de Armas’ portrayal of Eve has earned her much praise already, and it’s easy to see why with a look at the new footage. She takes on opponents on every level: in hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, close quarters, or at the other end of a hallway, Eve does it all. She is willing to push the envelope further than ever with this new character, as the latest dialogue from the trailer made painfully clear: “This isn’t done until they’re dead.”

Ballerina is Willing to Be Bold, but the Tone Is Familiar

The character of Eve is new and exciting, but everything that fans have come to love about the John Wick films and TV series is there, too. From the sleek cinematography to the brutal choreography to the densely layered world-building, it’s all here. What’s new is the attitude of the new lead character, with her physicality and confidence setting the tone for the film.

Will the film keep up with the action? Yes. Are there larger questions about where the wider John Wick universe is going to go after this? Yes. But John Wick: Ballerina is about Eve, and how she both fits and doesn’t fit into the legend of her mentor. Ana de Armas will also have the opportunity to shine without competition or distraction, and that’s one of the many things that have people excited.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will dance its way to theaters on June 6, 2025. It seems like it will tick all of the right boxes for die-hard fans of the franchise as well as newcomers eager to discover the John Wick universe through a new lead and style. Grace and violence in abundance, Ballerina will be a brand new chapter in the saga and a familiar one, all at the same time.