The following contains spoilers for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, now playing in theatersBallerina director Len Wiseman already has plans for a potential sequel. The fifth movie in the John Wick franchise diverges from Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) story to focus primarily on Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), as she attempts to avenge her father (David Castañeda). Though Eve does manage to achieve her revenge, she is left in a precarious position in its final scene, as the Cult elects to place a bounty on her head, due to her involvement in the Chancellor’s (Gabriel Byrne) death.
While the movie teases Eve’s next steps, Wiseman has thoroughly planned out where Eve’s story will take her. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director explained that “you don’t walk off into the sunset very easily,” so Eve will have to “deal with the consequences of her actions.“ Though she has found refuge in the Continental, she cannot stay forever, and the bounty on her head will become an increasingly important problem for her. John Wick could even continue to be involved in her story, given his support in the fight against the Cult. Check out his quote below:
She’s checked herself into the Continental, and her next move is really sorting out how her whole life has been a lie. She now understands what her father was really doing for her, understands where she came from, and decided, ‘I’ve made a choice. I’ve got the answers that I needed, but there are consequences in this world.’ She has to now deal with the consequences that John Wick laid out to her, that Winston [Ian McShane] laid out to her. It is a brutal world. You don’t walk off into the sunset very easily. And so now Eve’s next move is how to deal with the consequences of her actions in this [movie].
The Chancellor relates to her at the ending that this cycle will continue: ‘You kill me, you’ve cut the head of the snake, but the body still lives.’ There will be ramifications of that. And she didn’t kill the entire village.
If I really were to get my full fantasy of that, her mother would discover that village and see it decimated and her daughter has been killed, so the ramifications can come in many different forms. And also, is John completely off the hook for helping her out at the end? He technically was going by the rules in a sense, but he kind of fudged the rules a little bit. I don’t think anybody gets off kindly in this world.
What Eve’s Bounty Means For Ballerina 2
Eva Allows More Insight Into This World
The Ballerina ending certainly leaves room for a sequel and for more exploration of Eve’s character. She is now in the same position that her father was, having made an enemy of the Cult to the degree that they are outright seeking her death. She may have killed the Chancellor, but it is not enough to actually kill the Cult. Like Wick’s mission against the High Table, she will need to kill many more people before she actually makes a difference in the underground. In doing so, she can continue to develop as an ᴀssᴀssin.
By facing the body of the snake, Eva offers more of an underdog narrative.
A potential sequel also offers the opportunity to learn more about the John Wick world without looking through the lens of Reeves’ protagonist. After all, Wick begins the franchise having already gained a reputation as a world-renowned ᴀssᴀssin, who can already strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. Eva is certainly important to the Cult, but she is nowhere near as internationally respected as Wick. It would be fascinating to learn more about life for the average targeted ᴀssᴀssin, and the danger that this life poses for them. By facing the body of the snake, Eva offers more of an underdog narrative.
Our Take On Wiseman’s Ballerina 2 Plan
Ballerina Needs To Succeed First
There is potential for a sequel storyline, but it will be difficult to actually earn that confirmation. After all, Ballerina is projected to earn under $30 million domestically in its opening weekend. With a budget of around $90 million, it needs to earn approximately $200 million to break even. With such a low opening weekend take, that is a difficult prospect, even if Lionsgate generally covers funding through international presales. If it can claw its way to success, either in theaters or through a streaming release, then the Ballerina sequel will be enthralling.
Source: EW
