Convention - CinemaCon 2025: Ana de Armas Stuns with Ferocity in First Extended Look at Ballerina

By Mulder, Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, The Colosseum Theater, 01 april 2025

During its highly anticipated presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas, Lionsgate pulled out all the stops to showcase Ballerina, the upcoming spin-off from the John Wick cinematic universe, and gave attendees a visceral, action-heavy glimpse of what promises to be one of the most intense installments in the franchise yet. Directed by Len Wiseman, known for his work on Underworld and Live Free or Die Hard, and led by Academy Award nominee Ana de Armas, the film unfolds between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. Ballerina will hit theaters on June 6, 2025, with de Armas portraying Eve Macarro, a ballerina trained from childhood by the Ruska Roma to become a lethal assassin. The character was first teased, albeit briefly, in John Wick: Chapter 3 and now takes center stage in what appears to be a gripping tale of revenge, identity, and blood-soaked ballet.

The extended footage unveiled exclusively at CinemaCon was a testament to the John Wick franchise's relentless commitment to elevating action choreography. The preview opened with a gritty trailer detailing Eve's tragic backstory and her integration into the assassin underworld under the guidance of the Ruska Roma syndicate. It wasn’t long before the tone shifted into high-octane gear, with a full, unbroken action sequence set in a snowy European cafe. In this scene, Ana de Armas’s character squares off against a male assassin played by action star Daniel Bernhardt, who reprises his role as Kirill from the franchise. What ensues is a bone-crushing melee filled with inventive brutality: butcher knives, food trays, rolling carts, and dinner plates are all repurposed into deadly weapons. The encounter reaches a savage climax when Eve subdues her opponent, snaps his arm with a sickening crunch, and finishes him with a single shot to the head — all choreographed with the franchise’s trademark fluidity and raw precision.

But the violence didn’t stop there. As the room settled into an eerie quiet, Eve is approached by a seemingly friendly cook — a woman who soon turns on her, launching into a chaotic and fast-paced fight that could only exist in the John Wick universe. Plates crash over heads, fists fly across the cluttered kitchen, and bullets are exchanged in a rapid-fire shootout that ends with the cook scrambling into a freezer for cover. It was a sequence that had the entire Caesars Palace auditorium at CinemaCon in awe, not just for the action itself, but for Ana de Armas’s total immersion in the role. The Cuban-Spanish actress, previously acclaimed for her performances in Knives Out and No Time to Die, brings a visceral physicality to Eve, blending elegance and lethality in ways that feel both fresh and faithful to the franchise’s DNA.

After the footage, Ana de Armas and director Len Wiseman took to the stage to discuss the grueling training that went into making Ballerina a reality. De Armas revealed that she underwent over four months of intensive physical preparation, which included weapons training, combat choreography, and even adapting ballet movements into her fighting style. One notable anecdote that drew gasps from the crowd was her confession that metal screws had to be embedded into the soles of her ballet shoes to provide the grip needed during the icy fight scenes shot on location. Wiseman, clearly enthusiastic about the material, emphasized that the goal of Ballerina was to subvert audience expectations at every turn. He noted that the fights were designed to be unpredictable and deliberately "messy," mirroring the raw, dangerous world in which Eve operates. He also praised Ana de Armas’s commitment to authenticity, stating she performed the majority of her stunts herself and brought a vulnerability to Eve that makes her stand apart from other action heroines.

The cast of Ballerina is nothing short of elite, with several beloved characters from the John Wick saga returning to reprise their roles. Ian McShane is back as Winston Scott, the enigmatic manager of the Continental Hotel; Anjelica Huston reprises her role as the stern Director of the Ruska Roma; and the late Lance Reddick returns posthumously as Charon, in what is expected to be a poignant and respectful farewell to his character. New faces in the franchise include Norman Reedus, Gabriel Byrne, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, though their roles remain closely guarded secrets. Perhaps most intriguing is the role of Keanu Reeves as John Wick himself. While his appearance in Ballerina is confirmed, early reports and CinemaCon insiders hint that this time, Wick may not be a guiding mentor or ally. Instead, the narrative may pit him against Eve, assigned to eliminate her in a plot twist that could redefine the mythos of both characters.

As if the footage and the cast weren’t enough to create buzz, Lionsgate also debuted a thrilling companion event in Las Vegas called “The John Wick Experience.” Designed to transport fans directly into the stylish and lethal world of Wick, this pop-up immersive experience allowed attendees to enter a full-scale recreation of the Continental Hotel lobby, complete with actors playing concierge staff, custom armory selections, and role-playing missions that captured the deadly etiquette of the assassin underground. This smart cross-promotion not only amplified excitement for Ballerina but also showcased Lionsgate’s commitment to turning the John Wick universe into a fully realized transmedia experience.

With Ballerina, Lionsgate is not simply spinning off a popular franchise character — they are expanding the scope and emotional depth of a universe that continues to resonate with fans around the globe. Ana de Armas, with her haunting grace and fearsome screen presence, appears to be the perfect choice to carry the torch — or perhaps the gun — into this next chapter. Based on the CinemaCon reveal, Ballerina is shaping up to be more than just another action film. It’s a ballet of brutality, a portrait of vengeance in motion, and, above all, a declaration that the John Wick universe is far from done telling stories that blend bloodshed with balletic beauty.

You can found the official photos in our Flickr page

Synopsis
Set during John Wick: Parabellum, Ballerina follows the relentless revenge of Eve Macarro, the new assassin of the Ruska Roma organization.

Ballerina 
Directed by Len Wiseman
Written by Shay Hatten
Based on Characters by Derek Kolstad
Produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski
Starring  Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves
Cinematography : Romain Lacourbas
Edited by Jason Ballantine
Music by Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard
Production companies : Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Films, 87North Productions
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release date : June 4, 2025 (France),  June 6, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 125 minutes

Photos : Getty Images / Lionsgate