A new trailer has been released for Ballerina. Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina is an upcoming John Wick spinoff focusing on the story of a female ᴀssᴀssin named Eve (Ana de Armas) who seeks vengeance after her father’s death. Eve has a training background from the Ruska Roma, and hones her skills with the help of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick. Ballerina features a leading cast including Angelica Huston, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Gabriel Byrne. Unlike the John Wick tetralogy, the film is directed by Len Wiseman.

Now, Lionsgate has released a new trailer for Ballerina. The trailer begins by explaining a piece of Slavic mythology, relating to the protagonist’s role in protecting the innocent and taking down those with “darkness in their hearts.” This lore is explained in voiceover, while images of Eve fighting are shown. Eve checks into the notorious Continental H๏τel, where she reveals that she is looking for people with an X symbol on their wrist. As the ᴀssᴀssin travels through landscapes featuring snow and mountains, she teases the “large” scale of her mission before coming face to face with John Wick.

What This Trailer Means For Ballerina

The Kikimora Is Like Baba Yaga

As part of their marketing, Lionsgate did not only release the trailer, but put it out as part of a 30-minute-long “trailer event” that included giveaways and more. After a late start, there were 10 minutes where an AI voice encouraged viewers to type prompts into the livestream chat to enter for a chance to win Ballerina tickets, a signed poster, and more. Then, it was revealed that a TV with the Ballerina trailer was trapped in ice, and viewers were asked to type flame emojis into the chat to allow a flamethrower to melt the ice.

The Ballerina trailer that was released unveils a key facet of the main character’s lore. A character likens her to the “Kikimora,” connecting her to Slavic folklore. This is similar to John Wick’s Baba Yaga nickname, which, similarly, connected the lead with a piece of folk mythology. In addition to returning Reeves to his role and bringing Eve to key places like the Continental, the Kikimora background is another way to connect the film with the rest of the franchise.

Our Take On The Latest Ballerina Trailer

Lionsgate Is Working Hard On The Ballerina Publicity

This Ballerina trailer certainly carries with it even more John Wick trademarks than previous renditions. Even more notable to me than the trailer itself, however, is Lionsgate’s choice in marketing. The prizes offered included a Blu-ray set of the four existing John Wick feature films, emphasizing how much the movie wants to capitalize on the franchise status despite its new lead character. Between this and the ticket offerings, Lionsgate is going all in on this movie’s marketing. I will be fascinated to see if this pays off for Ballerina at the box office.

Source: Lionsgate