Ana de Armas had to be ready for anything that came her way in the set of John Wick spin-off Ballerina, including an “insane” scene with a flamethrower that left the star crying.
As part of the film’s presentation at Comic Con Experience (CCXP), a featurette offered a new glimpse into the upcoming movie, which expands the world of John Wick by focusing on a new character.
“I was excited. I was nervous. I was worried”, says De Armas, who plays Ruska Roma-trained killer Eve Macarro as she seeks vengeance for her father’s death.
“I’m actually surprised that I came out of it in one piece”, she jokes, as the featurette shows the intense training and brutal actions scenes we expect from a John Wick entry.
“The ways that the fights are built, you have to be prepared for whatever they throw at you. It was a kind of discipline, physical and mental, that I didn’t know before.”
One scene involving a flamethrower proved particularly challenging for the Oscar-nominated actress.
“The flamethrower scene is insane. I think I burn 106 people. I only cried with the first man. The other 105, I was fine,” she recalls.
Officially titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, the film is set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, so you don’t need to worry about all of the unanswered questions left by the ending of John Wick 4.
Alongside Ana de Armas, the cast includes The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, as well as returning characters from the franchise like Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin, Lance Reddick’s Charon, Ian McShane’s Winston, and Anjelica Huston’s director of Ruska Roma.
In the recently released featurette, Ballerina director Len Wiseman clarifies that “this is not a female John Wick,” but a completely new character that aims to stand of her own.
“Fans are gonna love what Ana does, and how she plays this character”.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina arrives in cinemas on June 6, 2025. In the meantime, you can check out our list of best upcoming movies.