Thanks to star Keanu Reeves, John Wick fans now know when the upcoming spinoff, Ballerina, takes place on the franchise's timeline.
Shared on YouTube, Reeves made an appearance at Comic Con Experience 2022 (CCXP) to discuss the John Wick saga's fourth film releasing in 2023, John Wick: Chapter 4. The actor confirmed that Ballerina has already started filming, with actor Ana de Armas starring in the project and Underworld's Len Wiseman attached as director. However, Reeves also revealed that the spinoff movie takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) and Chapter 4.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum introduced fans to The Director (Anjelica Huston), Wick's adoptive mother who runs the Ruska Roma criminal organization. She prepares a ballerina performance in the film, and is last seen having her hands stabbed by High Table agents because she aids Wick after he was declared "excommunicado." Ballerina was first announced in 2017 prior to Parabellum's release, though other details regarding the spinoff remain scarce. Reeves' John Wick is set to appear in Ballerina along with Winston, the Continental Hotel's manager portrayed by actor Ian McShane.
After Wick is hunted by almost the entire assassin community for being "excommunido" and having a massive bounty on his head, Parabellum's final act forces Wick, Winston and the Continental Hotel's Charon (Lance Reddick) to make a last stand against the High Table's forces. The film ends with Wick shot off the hotel's roof, surviving the fall and winding up in the care of the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). The ending seemingly set the stage for Wick and the Bowery King seeking out revenge against the High Table together.
John Wick: Chapter 4 Releases Prior to the Ballerina Spinoff
Released in Nov. 2022, the official trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 shows Wick trying to escape his troubles for good by challenging the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) to single combat. The trailer also introduces the franchise's other newcomers, including actors Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada and Clancy Brown. Whether the film will introduce de Armas' Ballerina character or anyone else set to appear in the spinoff remains to be seen.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will be the longest film in the franchise so far, with director Chad Stahelski previously saying, "It's longer than the other three, but not that long." Chapter 4 may not be the film series' final installment, being that the director has revealed that Lionsgate wants to keep it going. "[As of right] now it is the studio's [full] intention to continue the franchise," he said back in August.
John Wick: Chapter 4 releases exclusively in theaters on March 24, 2023.
Source: YouTube