What ‘John Wick’ films do you need to watch before ‘Ballerina’?

The John Wick spin-off Ballerina is hitting cinemas on Friday (June 6), but which films in the series do you need to see first? Read on for all the info.

• READ MORE: John Wick – Chapter 4 review: an all-action blockbuster that truly gives its all

Marketed under the title From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, the film stars Ana De Armas (Blonde, No Time To Die) in the lead role as Eve Macarro, a ballerina who is training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma as she embarks on a mission to avenge her father’s death.

Gabriel Byrne plays the film’s antagonist, named The Chancellor, while Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane and Norman Reedus co-star. Lance Reddick also makes his final screen appearance in the film, while Keanu Reeves makes an appearance as John Wick himself.

Ballerina has been written by Shay Hatten, who contributed to the script of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and wrote the screenplay of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). Len Wiseman, known for his work on the Underworld film series as well as the 2012 Total Recall remake, is directing.

What John Wick films do you need to watch before Ballerina?

Ballerina is the fifth film in the franchise in total and it is set between the events of Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

The first film in the universe to take the focus away from Reeves’ John Wick character, it instead follows De Armas’ Eve Macarro, who checks into the Continental Hotel and takes up training in the Ruska Roma assassin training program.

The film sees several series regulars return in key roles, including Huston, Reddick, McShane and Reeves, so for full flavour and context, it is recommended that viewers catch up with the first three films that all precede Ballerina in the timeline. These will provide the necessary understanding of the Ruska Roma, the criminal organisation that holds a seat at the High Table in the franchise’s mythology.

A ballerina character named Rooney, played by Unity Phelan, also makes an appearance in Chapter 3, revealing the Eve character’s original inception – Phelan had originally been tapped to play the lead in Ballerina before being replaced by De Armas.

Chapter 4 may be considered less essential as preparation for Ballerina given that it comes after it in the timeline, but the first three films are all likely to enhance the experience for most viewers of Ballerina.

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