Ana de Armas says 'Ballerina' fight scene with Keanu Reeves is 'on another level'

De Armas compared the "crazy stunts" of the John Wick spinoff to her role in No Time to Die, saying, "Bond is only fifteen minutes..."

Ballet and menacing action isn't a combination many people would choose when making an action movie. However, the criminal underworld that calls John Wick films home is anything but straightforward. As part of a move to expand the franchise, a film spin-off, Ballerina, will be released sometime in the future. The project will be led by Ana de Armas, an actress who recently spoke about how working on the film alongside franchise star Keanu Reeves affected her.

Ballerina will be the fifth film in the series and will reintroduce Looney, a character we first saw in John Wick 3: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. The role was played by ballet dancer Unity Phelan, but Armas took over for the show. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the actress documented the difficulties she faced filming fight scenes with Reeves. Despite describing the aftermath of the scene that left her "sore" and "bruised," the Grays star admitted that the professionalism shown by her co-star made her complain less. Armas said:

We’ve been in Prague filming for four months. We still have one more month to go. And I’m in pain. You know, my body, my back, everything hurts. I’m complaining, I’m sore, I’m bruised. Bond was fifteen minutes. This is a whole movie, another level. But the other day, Keanu and I were rehearsing our very difficult stunt scene, and this man is just rolling and throwing me and doing crazy stunts. And I’m like — I can’t complain anymore. Because he is doing it! He truly is the best.

Ballerina will Keeping with the revenge theme, Rooney is now a full-fledged ballerina/assassin on the prowl for the murderers of her family. The larger movie timeline is set between John Wick 3: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and the highly anticipated John Wick: Chapter 4, as previously confirmed by Reeves himself.

Ballerina was directed by Len Wiseman, with Shay Hatten writing John Wick Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, starring Armas. The role isn't new to the actress, as she's impressed multiple times in other action-themed films, such as the aforementioned Gray Men and the Bond series No Time to Die. The project will also feature some familiar faces from the franchise, including Ian McShane as Winston Scott, Anjelica Huston as "The Director," and Lance Reddick as The Continental's concierge Charon. Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus and Catalina Sandino Moreno will star in new, undisclosed roles.

There is no release date for Ballerina yet, however, with John Wick: Chapter 4 and the return of the series, the series' criminal underworld will be released later this year year.