Little Dancer: Ana de Armas is a fierce assassin in Ballerina trailer

John Wick fans hoping for a fifth film in the hugely popular action franchise will at least be able to return to “Wick-World” next year with the release of a spinoff film, Ballerinaset between the events of 2019 Chapter 3 – Parabellum And Chapter 4 (2023). (The full title is decidedly unwieldy From the world of John Wick: Ballerina.) Lionsgate just released the first trailer, and it features all the tight action choreography and dazzling visuals we've come to expect from the franchise – including a cameo from none other than the Baba Yaga himself (Keanu Reeves).

(Spoilers ahead John Wick Chapter 3 And Chapter 4 below.)

Parabellum found Wick who had been declared excommunicado from the High Table for murdering crime lord Santino D'Antonio on the grounds of the Continental. On the run with a bounty on his head, he heads to the headquarters of the crime syndicate Ruska Roma, led by its director (Anjelica Huston). There we learned that Wick was originally named Jardani Jovonovich and had been trained as an assassin by the syndicate. The director also trains young girls to be ballerina killers, and a young ballerina (played by Unity Phelan) is shown rehearsing in the scene. That dancer is the main character in Ballerinanow played by Ana de Armas.

Screenwriter Shay Hatten sold a spec script featuring the ballerina character to Lionsgate in 2017 and ultimately contributed to the film Parabellum screenplay and serves as head writer Chapter 4. While Chad Stahelski has directed all four John Wick films Ballerina the studio released Len Wiseman (the Underworld franchise). But Stahelski is still a producer on the film and worked closely with Wiseman on those all-important action scenes.

Huston returns as director, Ian McShane is back as Winston and Lance Reddick makes one final (posthumous) appearance as the continental caretaker, Charon. New cast members include Gabriel Byrne as main villain the Chancellor, who turns an entire city against the titular ballerina, Eve Macarro (de Armas); Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Nogi; Norman Reedus as Pine; and Catalina Sandino Moreno and David Castaneda in undisclosed roles.

Cinemacon attendees in April were treated to a teaser trailer; a lot of that footage appears to be in the trailer. We see Winston recruit a young orphan Eve with some scenes of her learning boxing, martial arts, and gun and knife skills. She's looking for her father's killer and naturally encounters some resistance, forcing her to fight a lot of nasty people, some armed with flamethrowers. Finally, she comes face to face with Wick and asks how she can start doing what he does. His response: “Looks like you already did that.” De Armas looks fierce and is up to the physical challenges of her role. We're looking forward to this one.

From the world of John Wick: Ballerina will be released in theaters on June 6, 2025.

Listing image from Lionsgate