The world of John Wick continues to expand, with the announcement that a female-led spin-off is in the works. Lionsgate recently won the bidding war to pick up the action script titled Ballerina.
This script is penned by Shay Hatten, a 23-year old writer currently working for Team Downey and reportedly idolized Shane Black of Lethal Weapon fame. He graduated from Loyola Marymount’s School of Film and Television in 2016, before joining Team Downey as an intern, later being promoted to writing assistant. His previous scripts include Maximum King!, a black comedy that is a fictional account of how author Stephen King directed Maximum Overdrive, an infamous film where machines—including cars and trucks—develop a life of their own. Hatten is represented by CAA and Lee Stobby Entertainment.
Who else had their eyes on this John Wick spin-off?
Though specific plot details are being kept secret for now, comparisons are being made to La Femme Nikita, with an aesthetic closer to something Quentin Tarantino would have created, and both Warner Bros and Universal apparently had their eyes on it before Lionsgate beat them out for the script.
Producers include Basil Iwanyk. His Thunder Road company is also behind John Wick itself and the upcoming Benedict Cumberbatch film, The Current War, which will be premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The John Wick Universe
John Wick Chapter 2 opened up the world of assassins considerably, making this the perfect time for all this talk of spin-offs and comic books. Fans not only learned more about Wick himself, but many other hired killers including a violin player and a network of homeless people. Now that the character of Wick is on the run from nearly everyone, there is definitely room for more characters. Though specific plot details are scarce, rumor has it this spin-off will follow the titular ballerina’s journey to kill those who murdered her family. We won’t know for sure until more news surfaces, but so far, it definitely sounds like a welcome addition to the universe!
