John Wick is getting its own cinematic universe thanks to spin-off Ballerina
Lionsgate has picked up a female-centric spec script with an eye to incorporating it into the franchise
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The Hollywood Reporter states that Lionsgate has won the bidding war on a female-centered action spec script, titled Ballerina, and are hoping to mould into a John Wick spin-off.
The script is penned by 23-year-old Shay Hatten, who is described as idolising Lethal Weapon's Shane Black (though what young, white dude screenwriter doesn't), and currently works at Robert Downey Jr.'s production company, Team Downey.
He previously penned a black comedy script, Maximum King!, that ended up on last year's Black List of unproduced screenplays, adding to Lionsgate's own confidence in Ballerina.
That said, the script's description seems to be a bunch of action movie buzzwords: it's been described as La Femme Nikita, but with a more Quentin Tarantino or Matthew Vaughn stylised slant, which all sounds a little like a parody of a film school bro's ideal movie, as of now.
The story, apparently, focuses on a young woman raised as an assassin, who must hunt down the other assassins that murdered her family. Who knows where the ballerina part is meant to fit in.
That said, John Wick has proven in two films to have some great potential as a major action franchise, thanks to its masterfully stylish use of both cinematography and action choreography. And, hey, if they can throw in Keanu Reeves somewhere in this spin-off, we might just have a winner.
A third John Wick film is also currently in the works, though it's yet to land a release date.
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