- Ballerina: From the World of John Wick shouldn't be called a spin-off, its director says
- The film series' latest entry is set between the third and fourth John Wick movies
- It "expands on the mythology" of the action thriller franchise, he adds
Ballerina director Len Wiseman has rejected claims that the John Wick film franchise's latest entry is a spin-off.
Speaking to TechRadar ahead of the movie's release, Wiseman argued that it should actually be called a "spin-on" – i.e. a film that puts its own spin on a film franchise's well-established formula.
Wiseman admits that very few people, if anyone, will have heard the phrase "spin-on" before. Nevertheless, he insists that the Ana de Armas-starring film is "fully connected" to the movie series' other entries – and not just because Wick appears in it.
Ballerina's first trailer raised eyebrows about Wick's inclusion. After all, at the end of John Wick Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves' iconic hitman was – spoiler! – presumed dead. With John Wick 5 in early development, though, it's likely that the well-dressed assassin hasn't taken his last breath.
However, Ballerina takes place between John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum and its sequel, which is why Reeves' gun-for-hire is, at this point on the John Wick timeline, still alive and kicking. For more on said timeline, read my guide on how to watch the John Wick movies in order.
But I'm getting off-track. With Ballerina set between Parabellum and John Wick Chapter 4, plus Reeves' involvement in its story, the franchise's latest entry should be viewed as the mainline series' newest flick. It's for that reason that Wiseman has coined the "spin-on" moniker for one of 2025's highly anticipated new movies.
When I ask him if Ballerina should be labeled an "in-between-quel" – another industry term for a movie that's set between two other films – Wiseman replied: "Yeah, it is. I've seen people call it a spin-off, which is really misleading.
"Ballerina's events mostly run parallel to John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum. We're really building out the world of John Wick, so it's more of a 'spin-on' than a 'spin-off'. I know that's not a phrase, but it should be!"
Asked to explain how Ballerina explores the movies series colloquially known as the 'John Wick universe', Wiseman added: "One of the things that first attracted me to this film was the mythology of John Wick and how layered it is.
"Here, we're able to dive deeper into that mythos and explore the Ruska Roma, who we've met in previous movies. Before, we've seen this group through John Wick's eyes and his experiences [with them]. Now, we get to sift through the layers of their folklore, and try to balance that with what was previously established. We had a ton of fun with that and I think audiences will appreciate it."
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina lands in theaters worldwide on June 6. Before it's released, check out my Ballerina review.
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