New John Wick spin-off movie casts Ana de Armas in lead role

Ana de Armas is in talks to take the leading role in the new John Wick spin-off movie Ballerina, Deadline reports.

The movie is about a young female assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family. No other casting details have been revealed yet, although according to Deadline there's hope that Keanu Reeves and Anjelica Huston may provide cameos in the movie.

Len Wiseman, who helmed 2012's Total Recall, is directing, while Army of the Dead screenwriter Shay Hatten has written the script. Hatten also wrote John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the movie in which the character central to Ballerina first appeared. Franchise director Chad Stahelski is on board as a producer.

Elsewhere in the Wick-verse, John Wick: Chapter 4 recently wrapped filming and will see Keanu Reeves return in the lead role as the titular assassin, alongside McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Rina Sawayama. Stahelski and franchise screenwriter Derek Kolstad are also back for the fourth installment, and the movie is set for release on May 27, 2022. 

There's also a prequel TV show in the works – The Continental will center around the origins of the titular hotel where assassins from around the world come to meet, with Colin Woodell playing a younger version of Ian McShane's character Winston Scott. Oh, and John Wick: Chapter 5 is on the way, too. 

As for de Armas, she recently starred in blockbusters No Time to Die and Knives Out. She'll play Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming biopic Blonde, and she's also set to star in the Netflix movie The Gray Man alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling.

While we wait for Ballerina to arrive on the big screen, check out our list of the other upcoming movies to get excited about in 2021 and beyond.