Ana De Armas’ Action-Packed Thriller Breaks Franchise Rules On HBO Max

by

The action thriller starring Ana de Armas, currently popular on HBO Max, really shook things up for its established series. It’s tough for new installments to stand out when a franchise is already well underway. Usually, successful franchises keep viewers happy by sticking to familiar formulas.

The actors are a big part of what makes a movie successful, even today when truly famous stars are becoming rare. People still go to the cinema to see performers they enjoy, and with John Wick, a major draw is Keanu Reeves – audiences love seeing him in an action role. Beyond the film’s exciting fight scenes, classic style, and well-crafted story, it’s Reeves who brings a lot of viewers in.

The announcement that Ana de Armas would lead the fifth film, Ballerina, instead of Keanu Reeves, came as a surprise. Even more surprisingly, Reeves appears in only a brief scene – barely more than a cameo. This was a very unusual decision for a major spin-off movie.

The promotion for Ballerina heavily features Keanu Reeves as John Wick, but his appearance in the film is brief, limited to an early encounter with Ana de Armas’ character, Eve Macarro. It’s surprising to create a spin-off titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina and then not give John Wick a major role in it.

Ballerina Shows Ana De Armas Is Ready To Be An Action Star

While Ballerina has the lowest critic score of any film in the John Wick series, that’s not saying much. Every previous John Wick movie has been very well-received, with scores of 86% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. A 75% score, which is what Ballerina earned, is still better than many action movies achieve – and some studios would spend huge amounts of money trying to get a score like that.

Ana de Armas is a standout in this film, and her captivating performance is what makes it work, even with John Wick having a limited role. While Ballerina is a little over-the-top – which isn’t out of place for the series – De Armas convincingly portrays Eve, making her backstory as an assassin disguised as a dancer feel authentic.

Ana de Armas is quickly becoming a major action star, proving herself in films like No Time to Die, Ghosted, and now Ballerina. She’s not only capable of handling the physical demands of these roles, but she also brings a subtle and compelling confidence to her characters, making them feel more real and nuanced.

A Ballerina Sequel Could Extend The John Wick Franchise

The John Wick movies have been popular since 2014, and the success of Ballerina suggests the franchise will continue. Although it hasn’t been officially announced, Ballerina director Len Wiseman has suggested he’d like to make a sequel, implying that the events of the first film could have lasting consequences for the main character, Eve.

John Wick Franchise
Year Title Rotten Tomatoes Box Office Mojo
2014 John Wick 86% $86,013,056
2017 John Wick: Chapter 2 89% $171,539,887
2019 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum 89% $327,777,335
2023 John Wick: Chapter 4 94% $447,142,521
2023 The Continental 63% –
2025 Ballerina 75% $140,201,236

As a huge fan of the John Wick films, I was thrilled to see that the ending of Chapter 4 didn’t actually close the door on the universe. Ballerina is a perfect example of how they can keep things going, and I’m already excited about the possibility of a Ballerina 2. It could really expand the John Wick world and potentially lead to even more spin-offs, maybe even some that take even bigger risks than Ballerina does.

Read More

2026-04-16 21:39