“There was a kind of fire in Ana that I wanted to meet and work with” - Director Len Wiseman on casting Ana de Armas in Ballerina

In the shadows of the John Wick universe, a new assassin takes the stage — graceful, lethal, and burning for revenge: Ballerina releasing in Indian cinemas on 13th June. Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina tells the gripping story of Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a highly skilled assassin on a relentless quest for vengeance against those who destroyed her family. Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, this latest installment delivers the franchise’s signature hard-hitting action, immersive world-building, and jaw-dropping stunts.

When Ana de Armas stepped into the John Wick universe, she didn’t just inherit a franchise — she earned it. Her intense, layered performances in No Time to Die and Knives Out caught the eye of the filmmakers, who saw something electric in her. “There was a kind of fire in Ana that I wanted to meet and work with,” Wiseman recalls. “At the onset, I told Ana that since Eve is just beginning her journey as an assassin, the character is going to, at times, get her ass kicked. Ana’s reply was, ‘Cool. Okay, I’m in.’ During production she’d show me her bruises from the action and stunts, and they became like merit badges.”

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This isn’t your average origin story. Eve doesn’t just kill — she learns how to survive, how to fight back, and how to master the deadly art of transformation. “She’s perfect for the role in many ways,” Wiseman shares. “What I love about this franchise series is that it is more of an actor-based action, and so we see the actors doing more of their own performance and choreography. And she was game with that.”

De Armas, in turn, admired the John Wick films, but also knew that BALLERINA was a story that could stand on its own. “We wanted Eve to be approachable and realistic. She had a very traumatic childhood that changed the lens through which Eve sees life.”

Wiseman adds, “Eve is seeking many things at the Ruska Roma, and really finds herself there. We experience, with Eve, some new layers, and how that organization works — this time from the point of view of someone who’s brand new to it and experiencing how to train and move up the ranks.”
PVRINOX Pictures continues its strong commitment to Indian audiences, rolling out Ballerina with an extensive theatrical release across multiple languages like English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Unlike the larger-than-life superheroes that dominate, Eve bleeds. She fights back. She transforms.

As Ballerina gears up to bring its explosive action to Indian theatres on June 13th, the excitement is just getting started. With a massive fan following for the John Wick franchise in India, Ballerina is poised to become the next big cinematic obsession.