Ana De Armas reveals John Wick spinoff Ballerina is being written by Emerald Fennell

Eleni Thomas
John Wick Ballerina

In a recent interview, Ana De Armas provided a big update on her hotly anticipated John Wick spinoff film, Ballerina. Armas revealed that the film has hired an Oscar-winning female writer to develop the script.

In a recent interview with Elle, Ana De Armas was discussing the upcoming John Wick spinoff Ballerina. Duirng the conversation, she revealed the film has now hired a lead writer.

Emerald Fennell will be the lead writer for the film, a relatively new voice in the film scene but one that has already generated a big following. Fans of the Crown will know her as the actor who portrays Camilla Bowles in the fourth season. Her most notable work behind the camera came from the 2020 film Promising Young Woman, which Fennell both directed and wrote the screenplay for.  

When discussing the appointment of Fennell with Elle, Armas revealed her desire to hire a female writer, stating how “it was really important for me to hire a female writer.” 

She then went on to discuss the role she played in the appointment of Fennell.

“To that point when I got involved in the project, it was only the director, Len Wiseman, and another guy. And I was like, ‘that’s not going to work.’ So I interviewed, like, five or six female writers. We hired Emerald Fennell, which I was so proud of.” 

While many details about the film are still a mystery, we do know the basic outline of the plot. The story will follow De Armas’ character, a female assassin who seeks revenge against the people responsible for the murder of her family.

Ana De Armas continues to wow as an action star

Bellerina writer update Ana De Armas
Ana De Armas stole the show in the latest James Bond film

In the last few years, De Armas has been slowly but surely rising in the celebrity sphere, building an impressive resume and list of movies that seems to be only growing. 

While she did play a role in the 2017 Blade Runner 2049 film, her breakout role was in the critically acclaimed 2019 film Knives Out. The Riah Johnson mystery had Armas starring alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, and Jamie Lee Curtis. In 2021, she had a small but scene-stealing role in the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die.

John Wick is one of the biggest action franchises of the past 10 years. The titular character, played by Keanu Reeves, is beloved for his gritty and fearless nature. Due to the success of the original trilogy, a variety of spinoffs have been announced. 

Ballerina will be directed by Len Wiseman, who is best known for his work on the Underworld film series as well as many tv shows, including Lucifer.

Filming for the John Wick spinoff Ballerina is set to begin this summer. While no release date is set, many are speculating it will be aiming for a summer 2023 release. The next installment in the John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4, is releasing in theatres on March 24, 2023.  

Related Topics

About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a senior writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com