With its June release date drawing closer, Lionsgate has begun rolling out a new wave of marketing materials for Ballerina, the John Wick spin‑off that places Academy Award–nominee Ana de Armas front and center as Eve Macarro, a vengeful Ruska Roma assassin. The latest batch of stills highlights de Armas in full combat mode: clutching dual Glocks in a snow‑blasted alleyway, sprinting across a gilded ballroom while shattered chandelier glass rains behind her, and—most jaw‑dropping of all—leveling a military‑grade flamethrower at a phalanx of black‑suited gunmen.
The latter image pays off a much‑discussed set piece that director Len Wiseman and 87eleven Action Design have teased since principal photography wrapped last year. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, de Armas reveals that wielding a real flame unit proved far more harrowing than anything she experienced on No Time to Die or Blade Runner 2049. “The stunt team invited me to a rehearsal where they were testing burn gels and fuel rigs,” she recalls. “They said, ‘You should try it once before cameras roll,’ and I was so confident. Then I saw the stunt performer covered in fire‑retardant grease, and they basically said, ‘Light him up.’ I squeezed the trigger, flames shot twenty feet, and when I saw him engulfed—even though I knew he was safe—I burst into tears. I’d never witnessed a human torch close‑up, staged or not.”
That emotional jolt, she says, proved unexpectedly helpful. “The next day on set, I’d processed that fear. So when the cameras were running and they cued the explosions, I felt surprisingly calm. By the end of the night, I had ‘incinerated’ what felt like a hundred stunt guys. But it deepened my respect. Those performers literally set themselves on fire to sell the shot. It’s humbling.” Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh notes that the flamethrower sequence occupies a derelict steel foundry—an environment chosen for its glowing crucibles and catwalks, which cast hellish reflections across Eve’s soot‑streaked face.
Narratively, Ballerina unfolds between the chaos of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and the globe‑trotting vendetta of Chapter 4, promising to fill in how the High Table reshuffled its deck after Winston’s rooftop double‑cross. Screenwriter Shay Hatten has hinted that Eve’s personal vendetta against the Russian underworld will intersect with John Wick’s own shadow, explaining why the Baba Yaga appears at first as an obstacle rather than an ally. Franchise architect Chad Stahelski—serving as producer—recently confirmed that John Wick 5 is in early development, fueling speculation that Ballerina may plant the narrative seeds for Wick’s unlikely resurrection after that Shibuya cemetery finale.
The stills also include first looks at franchise veterans Anjelica Huston as the Director, Ian McShane as the perpetually calculating Winston, and Lance Reddick in one of his final screen roles as the Continental concierge Charon. Meanwhile, newcomer Gabriel Byrne appears as an enigmatic fixer rumored to be pulling strings on behalf of the High Table’s European branch. Costume designer Jill Taylor emphasizes that each supporting player dons attire that telegraphs allegiance: Huston’s regal overcoat stitches the Ruska Roma crest in blood‑red thread, while McShane’s tie clip conceals a miniature gold Continental key.
Shot largely on location in Prague and Berlin, Ballerina aims to expand the Wick aesthetic beyond neon Manhattan. Cinematographer Robert Richardson uses wide‑angle lenses to emphasize de Armas’s balletic firearms choreography—hence the film’s title—while retaining the franchise’s signature chiaroscuro. Practical pyrotechnics dominate; the flamethrower scene alone required 80 gallons of controlled fuel and a special effects team of twenty. According to 87eleven co‑founder Chad Stahelski, “Audiences crave authenticity. You can’t fake broken glass in slow motion, or the way real fire ventilates through a warehouse’s busted windows.”
Lionsgate will launch final-ticket pre‑sales next week, accompanied by an R‑rated trailer that teases Eve’s first encounter with Wick inside a candle‑lit crypt. Early box‑office forecasts suggest Ballerina could rival the $56 million domestic opening of John Wick 3, propelled by de Armas’s star power and the promise of boundary‑pushing set pieces. For viewers eager to see whether Eve Macarro earns a seat at the High Table—or burns it down with that flamethrower—June cannot arrive soon enough.
In addition to Ana de Armas (Knives Out; No Time to Die; Ghosted), the film also features Keanu Reeves (The Matrix; Speed; Sonic the Hedgehog 3) as the legendary John Wick, with a supporting cast consisting of Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family; Prizzi’s Honor), Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects; Miller's Crossing), the late Lance Reddick (John Wick; The Wire), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace; The Affair), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead; Boondock Saints), Ian McShane (Deadwood; John Wick), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Enola Holmes 2; Dune), and David Castañeda (Poker Face; The Umbrella Academy).
Len Wiseman (Underworld; Live Free or Die Hard) helmed the spinoff, while Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum; Army of the Dead) penned the script. Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski are attached as producers.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits theaters on June 6!
Check out the new stills below:
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.