‘Ballerina’ Producer Explains Lance Reddick’s Cameo in ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4]

As we start to get hyped up to check out Ballerina, the first spin-off movie from the John Wick franchise, we can’t help but wonder how Ana De Armas’ Rooney will fit into that universe. So far, we know that the title character will seek revenge for the death of her parents, and that she’ll cross paths with other franchise characters. In an interview with Collider, John Wick producer Erica Lee revealed to what extent those characters will be featured and what kind of roles they play in Rooney’s story.

We also already knew that Ballerina takes place between John Wick 3: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, but after watching the fourth installment you come out of it 100% sure of the timeline, since two major characters die in John Wick 4. With the participation of Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane as Winston, and the late Lance Reddick as Charon, it’s easy to assume Rooney will check into The Continental, but Lee confirmed to our own Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub that the actors only came back for cameos:

“Ian has a little bit more to do, and John Wick is an extended cameo. He shot for about a week. Lance shot for a day. Those were last minute adds in a way, too. How do we merge the worlds a bit more, so there’s a bit of more of brand continuity? Because obviously, she’s a ballerina in the Ruska Roma School, so that was having Anjelica [Huston] as The Director was always an organic way in, and she always did check into a Continental. But then it was fun to have Ian and Lance come. I didn’t know if Keanu was going to do the movie. I think we had always hoped he would. Then the timeline thing became a thing because we were still in post on ‘John Wick 4,’ and it was like, is he dead? Is he not? Is he dead? Yeah, let’s do this, so it makes sense chronologically and gives us a minute to figure it all out.”

RELATED: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Had a 3 Hour and 45 Minute First Cut; Director Chad Stahelski Explains What Changed

More About Ballerina and The Continental Release Window Revealed

Ballerina will be directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld), from a script by Shay Hatten, who co-wrote the screenplay for John Wick: Chapter 4. Aside from De Armas and Huston, the cast also features Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary), Catalina Sandino Moreno (The Affair). The movie is also set to reveal a bit more of John Wick’s past and his origin story, which the flagship franchise never delved too deep into.

Before we get to see Ballerina, however, we’ll witness the miniseries The Continental, which Lee revealed is aiming for a September release window. Lee also revealed that the series will play out like three mini-movies, since the three episodes are roughly 90-minutes long each. The series is set to further develop the underworld mythology of the John Wick universe, and it takes place in the chain of hotels where killers can kick back and rest without the fear of being attacked in the middle of the night.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is out in cinemas everywhere. You can watch our interview with franchise director Chad Stahelski below: