John Wick Presents: Ballerina star Norman Reedus teases the movie’s new fight scenes. Serving as a spinoff of the hit John Wick franchise starring Keanu Reeves, the upcoming film is directed by Len Wiseman with Ana de Armas in the lead role. Ballerina‘s release date was originally set for 2024, but the film, which also features performances from Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston, was delayed to 2025 earlier this year to allow for reshoots to take place.

In a recent interview with Collider, Reedus, whose character in Ballerina has not been identified, reveals that he just recently returned from filming additional action scenes for the John Wick spinoff. According to the actor, audiences should expect an action-packed ride. Check out Reedus’ full comment below:

“It was painful. [Laughs] I just got back from Budapest where we added more fight scenes to it. So, I went from Japan to Budapest, back to Japan basically. It’s high-octane. It’s a cool story, it’s well-acted, visually stunning, but it’s just like bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.”

Ballerina’s New Action Scenes Explained

Why The John Wick Spinoff Was Delayed By A Year

Other than The Continental spinoff show, Ballerina will be the first project in the John Wick franchise not to be directed by Chad Stahelski. Stahelski, a former stuntman, has been crucial to bringing the franchise’s signature brand of action to life. After the big success of the acclaimed John Wick: Chapter 4 last year, Stahelski signed a new first-look deal with Lionsgate in early 2024 that gives him creative oversight over the larger franchise universe.

Reports suggest that Stahelski and key creatives involved in the Ballerina production, including Wiseman, were in agreement that the film needed a little extra work. To make the spinoff as strong as possible, it was decided that new action scenes would be filmed. Addressing the delay and the reshoots, McShane said earlier this year that the new filming is meant to “make [the movie] better” and “protect” the larger John Wick brand.

While it’s undoubtedly disappointing that Ballerina was pushed back a whole year, it’s a positive sign that the creatives involved recognize the importance of making the movie as good as possible. The Continental‘s reviews, for example, were somewhat lukewarm, and that show features action that is a noticeable step down compared to Stahelski’s installments. John Wick Presents: Ballerina will be a key indicator of whether the franchise can succeed without Stahelski as director, and hopefully, the reshoots mean the film will feature the strong action the franchise is known for.

Source: Collider