John Wick: Ana de Armas Is Out for Revenge in New Ballerina Trailer

The John Wick franchise came from humble beginnings, with a mid-budget revenge thriller spawning not just a career renaissance for Keanu Reeves, but also one of the modern era’s most influential action properties. As fans eagerly await updates about the in-development John Wick 5, the film series is set to expand in a different way this summer with the release of spinoff Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, who embarks on a blood-soaked quest to avenge her father’s death. With the film’s release just a few months away, Lionsgate is gearing up the marketing campaign and have now given fans a fresh look with a brand new trailer. Watch it in the space above.

The trailer sheds additional light on the story, establishing Eve’s mission for revenge. Thematically, Ballerina looks to be exploring familiar ground for the franchise, as indicated by Eve facing the dire consequences of some of her actions. Similar to John Wick being the Baba Yaga in this universe, there are parallels drawn to another spirit from Slavic mythology: Kikimora. The trailer hints that on a personal level, Eve’s arc could boil down to being either a protector or a vengeful angel of death.

Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, which explains why Reeves is reprising his trademark role in the film. Ballerina also features roles for other key characters from the John Wick franchise, including Winston and Charon. The spinoff is scheduled to open in theaters on June 6th.

[RELATED – John Wick Star Teases Surprising Connection Between Ballerina and “Baba Yaga”]

Unsurprisingly, the trailer is full of shots highlighting Ballerina‘s intense action scenes. De Armas previously spoke about the fight choreography, explaining how it was tailored to fit her style. Since Eve was trained as a ballerina, her action sequences understandably involve a lot of kicking. De Armas also mentioned knives and close-quarters combat are staples of her performance.

Perhaps the most interest aspect of this trailer is how it presents the dynamic between Eve and John Wick. In the previous trailer, it appeared the two would be working together, as it presented Eve asking Wick to teach her. But now, it looks like the two are being pitted against each other, with The Director calling upon John to take Eve out. Perhaps the two characters will have a rocky relationship initially before forming a partnership. Having John serve as essentially the villain for a stretch of Ballerina is a captivating idea, turning established franchise tropes on their heads, but it seems unlikely he will be Eve’s enemy for long.

Each John Wick film grossed more than the last; John Wick: Chapter 4 posted a very impressive $440.1 million worldwide haul. Ballerina will be a fascinating litmus test for the franchise. If it’s successful, it opens the door to additional expansions — whether that’s a sequel starring de Armas or a film following a different character. Reeves is obviously a vital component of what makes the John Wick movies such a massive draw. Lionsgate is smart to feature his role in marketing, but it’ll be interesting to see what the response is to a John Wick installment that isn’t about John Wick. Fortunately, de Armas is a talented actress who’s proven her action chops before (see: No Time to Die), so the franchise should be in good hands.