John Wick star Ian McShane offers a blunt explanation about the reason for the Ballerina spinoff movie’s recent delay. Set to star Ana de Armas as the titular dancer and assassin, the movie is not only set in the world established by Keanu Reeves’ John Wick movies, but will also feature several key characters, including McShane’s Winston Scott, owner of the New York Continental Hotel. Originally slated to be released in June this year, the Ballerina release date was recently pushed back to 2025 to allow for new action sequences to be added.
During a recent appearance on the British chat show The One Show (via Twitter user Adam Kahn), McShane explained that the movie is not undertaking reshoots, but is instead filming whole new sequences to be inserted into the final movie with the original John Wick director Chad Stahelski.
The actor suggested that the film’s delays are due to the need to “protect the franchise” and improve the final product. McShane also revealed that he has not seen the recent prequel show The Continental, as neither he nor Reeves were consulted about it. Check out his comments below:
With 2014’s original John Wick filmed with a modest budget of $20 million, few could have predicted that it would go on to spawn a hit franchise, with each successive sequel serving to topple the box office takings of its predecessors. Credited with reinstating Reeves to his much-deserved status as an action icon, Lionsgate’s plans for the future of the John Wick franchise extend well beyond 2025’s Ballerina and a possible John Wick 5.
Yet while the release of every John Wick movie has proven itself incrementally more successful at the box office than the last, if Lionsgate is to successfully expand the franchise beyond the core film, it is imperative they take the time they need to get Ballerina and its action sequences right. With the previous spinoff show, The Continental, only succeeding in generating mixed reviews and many suggesting its own action scenes fell short of the movies that inspired it, the decision to delay this new spinoff makes perfect sense.
Moreover, with Stahelski soon to find his attention divided between both the John Wick franchise and the new Highlander reboot starring Henry Cavill, further refining Len Wiseman’s Ballerina to a point where it could successfully sustain its own sequels would allow the franchise’s original director some much-needed room. Hopefully, the decision to push Ballerina back a whole year gives the project the time it needs to deliver a product worthy of the franchise that spawned it.
Source: The One Show (via Twitter user Adam Kahn)