‘Ballerina’: Upcoming ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off Reportedly Went Through Major Re-Shoots!!

We still don’t know for sure if we’re getting another John Wick film with Keanu Reeves in the lead role, but we do know that the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, is due to release in theaters next summer. However, the sharp-eyed fans among us will note that Ballerina was supposed to be in theaters last summer instead. According to a report from TheWrap, the primary reason for the film’s 12 month delay is due to the fact that franchise head Chad Stahelski allegedly had to step in and reshoot significant portions of the film. Stahelski, responsible for the core Wick films to date, and recently appointed by Lionsgate as the brain trust for the franchise as a whole, is said to have stepped in to salvage the project after early cuts from Len Wiseman didn’t meet the high expectations set by the franchise.

The film will also feature Reeves as John Wick, Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick returning from the main Wick films, which cemented the feeling that Ballerina is more like a midquel between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4. According to insider sources, Stahelski had to take over when Wiseman’s vision for Ballerina didn’t align with the action-packed, high-adrenaline style that fans of the series have come to expect. A large portion of the film was reshot in Prague, and Wiseman wasn’t present for these new takes. One insider was said to have remarked:

“Of course Chad had to clean up someone else’s mess. Remember, this film is basically John Wick 3.5 . This story happens before John Wick 4 and after that film, they can’t have a failure in anything Wick related.”

‘Highlander’ Has Reportedly Been Pushed Back as a Result

The reshoots reportedly lasted two to three months, causing delays for Stahelski’s other projects, particularly his upcoming Highlander reboot, which is now on hold. Henry Cavill is attached to the project, but he has since signed on to Amazon MGM’s new Voltron project, which is set to begin shooting at the tail end of this year. The insider explained, “Chad is going to do Highlander, but cleaning up Ballerina pushed him by five months for sure.”

Ballerina is set to release in theaters in June 2025, while Highlander does not yet have a release date.