John Wick Spinoff Ballerina Adds Gabriel Byrne to Cast
The cast of the John Wick spinoff Ballerina continues to grow with the addition of Gabriel Byrne. The actor is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for his performance on In Treatment, and will star alongside Ana de Armas in Lionsgate's Ballerina, though the exact role he is playing remains under wraps. Ballerina takes part in the John Wick Universe that Lionsgate is starting to build, and will even feature Keanu Reeves reprising his role as the enigmatic John Wick. Another returning actor is Lance Reddick, who is reprising his role as Charon.
"For decades, Gabriel's mysterious and enigmatic presence has enriched dozens of films – you can never quite be sure what he's thinking, or if what he's telling you is on the level. That's perfect for this world," said Ballerina producer Basil Iwanyk.
Ballerina Starring Ana de Armas Begins Production
John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally hitting theatres next year, but it's not the only project in the evergrowing franchise to look forward to. Starz is working on The Continental, a prequel set decades before the original films, and Lionsgate has a Ballerina feature in development. The movie will be based on the group led by Anjelica Huston's character in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Knives Out and No Time To Die star Ana de Armas would be headlining the project. IndieWire reported that Ballerina was set to go into production in November.
Ana de Armas said previously said that she's looking forward to Ballerina, but hopes to add more counterbalance to the handful of other action films she's done in recent years. That list includes the massive productions of The Russo Bros.'s The Gray Man and James Bond's No Time to Die, both of which feature Armas playing bombshell badass espionage agents.
"Without me planning on it, I'm doing all these action films that are fun but touch me in a different way," Armas told Variety. I hope that now I can start balancing both things, because it has felt very one-note. I've done too many together."
Who Stars in John Wick Spinoff Ballerina?
Ballerina stars Ana de Armas in the leading role, and she will be joined by other characters in the John Wick Universe. Along with Lance Reddick returning as Charon, Ballerina also stars Ian McShane as Winston, the manager of The Continental Hotel, Anjelica Huston as The Director, and Keanu Reeves as John Wick, as well as Catalina Sandino Moreno, and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus.
Len Wiseman directs Ballerina, which has a screenplay written by Shay Hatten. The producers are Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski. Brady Fujikawa and Chelsea Kujawa are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.