'John Wick' Spinoff 'Ballerina' in the Works

A new spinoff in the John Wick franchise is coming, and this time it will star a female assassin. According to a new report by Deadline, Lionsgate has announced Ballerina, a new action movie about the same strange assassin's guild that John Wick left behind. The movie will be directed by Len Wiseman.

From the sound of it, Ballerina was in the works for a while before it was announced. The script was written by Shay Hatten, a screenwriter known for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and Army of the Dead, among other things. Deadline reports that the project is on a "fast track," and it's not hard to see why.

Ballerina reportedly centers around a female assassin younger than John Wick, who goes out for revenge on the people who murdered her family. This is not far off from the simple yet highly effective premise that formed the foundation for the John Wick trilogy we know and love, so it stands to reason that it will work here as well.

There are no more confirmed details on the story yet, though there may have been a hint hidden in this year's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. The movie did have a character credited simply as "Ballerina," played by actress Unity Phelan. She was introduced in the combination ballet and wrestling school that helped smuggled John Wick out of the country. Some speculate that she could be the hero of this spinoff.

Keanu Reeves is attached as a producer, but so far there is no word on whether he will appear on screen. Other producers include John Wick director Chad Stahelski, as well as Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. Wiseman is an exciting choice of director for the film, as he cut his teeth on the female-led action franchise Underworld, starring Kate Beckinsale as a vampire and a lycan hunter.

This news comes alongside Lionsgate's work on John Wick: Chapter 4, which has yet to get a subtitle. The first movie functioned as a unique standalone thriller, but a fictional universe has been built out from there. Earlier this year, in an interview with GQ, Keanu Reeves said that he will gladly continue making John Wick movies as long as the audience wants to see them.

"As far as my legs can take me," he said, "As far as the audience wants to go."

John Wick: Chapter 4 is slated for release on May 21, 2021, while no release date is attached to Ballerina just yet. Meanwhile, there is a prequel TV series for the franchise due out on Starz sometime soon, titled The Continental. There is also a standing hint from David Leitch that John Wick will crossover with Atomic Blonde, confirming that they exist in the same world.

Stay tuned for updates on the rapidly-expanding John Wick franchise.