Stahelski Blocked Reeves' Ballerina Cameo Bid

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Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick franchise, recently disclosed he initially resisted Keanu Reeves' cameo in the spin-off Ballerina before recognizing its necessity to boost the film's prospects.

The John Wick series boasts an impressive trajectory, with each installment surpassing its predecessor at the box office - culminating in John Wick: Chapter 4's $440 million worldwide haul.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski explained his change of heart regarding Reeves' Ballerina appearance starring Ana de Armas: "That wasn't in the original script. I'll admit I was opposed initially. However, I understood why director Len Wiseman needed this advantage after our massive John Wick 4 opening. You can't realistically launch a spin-off with the same modest $18 million budget we started with - the stakes are higher now."

"To compete in this league, you need every advantage. From the studio's perspective, inserting Wick into Ballerina's timeline became the clearest way to transfer audience goodwill," Stahelski added.

Despite these efforts, Ballerina's $51 million global opening fell short of projections, suggesting Reeves' cameo didn't sufficiently motivate fans. The marketing push included adding "From the World of John Wick" to highlight its franchise connection.

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More Wick universe expansions are forthcoming, though Reeves won't appear in all. Stahelski confirmed Yen's spinoff Caine won't feature Wick: "The Donny Yen project pays homage to kung fu cinema rather than continuing Wick's story. If John Wick channeled Charles Bronson, this celebrates Chow Yun-fat and John Woo's legacy."

IGN awarded Ballerina 8/10, praising its "creative fight choreography that matches the main series' quality while establishing its own compelling heroine."

Rank the John Wick franchise

Rank the John Wick franchise