Norman Reedus endured a physically taxing experience filming Ballerina, earning a newfound admiration for Keanu Reeves’ dedication.

Created by Derek Kolstad, the neo-noir action franchise of John Wick starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character, has come a long way from its inception in 2014. Revolving around the life of the hitman and his run from the High Table, its elaborate action sequences and connected world-building have captivated movie-goers worldwide.

Last appearing on the big screens in 2023 with John Wick: Chapter 4, the intricate universe still has enough fuel to keep going, especially with a list of spin-offs springing out of it and starring new faces.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4 | Lionsgate
One of the most anticipated of these subsidiaries is the upcoming Ballerina film that stars Ana de Armas in a leading role along with the likes of Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Bryne, and Norman Reedus. The last of whom fell in awe of the leading face of the franchise on one particular aspect that he believed required a strong determination to pull off.

Leaving no corners in his comments, the actor left a bejeweled message studded with praise while revealing what makes the franchise so riveting in the first place.

Norman Reedus pens his love for the John Wick franchise

Norman Reedus in a still from The Walking Dead | AMC Studios
Marking his debut in the franchise, The Walking Dead actor opened up about his experience in an interview with Collider. Starring in a yet-undisclosed role in Ballerina alongside Keanu Reeves, Norman Reedus shed light on the physically demanding nature of the franchise.

Additionally, he spoke at length of the intense action sequences that he partook in as well as the meticulous fight choreography that gives the John Wick world its fame in the first place.

Describing his state during filming, he summed it up as being “painful”. The actor opened up on how certain sequences for the spin-off needed him to travel to and fro between Japan and Budapest. Moreover, he also heaped praise on the visually stunning detail behind this high-octane choreography and the energy required to pull it off.

It was painful. I just got back from Budapest where we added more fight scenes to it. So, I went from Japan to Budapest, back to Japan basically. It’s high-octane. It’s a cool story, it’s well-acted, visually stunning, but it’s just like bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

Overall, he found immense inspiration in Reeves and his dedication to the crafty and could hardly shy away from praising him.

I know Keanu, and my hat’s off to him because it’s a very physical, full-on, I-need-a-bottle-of-Advil-all-day-long type of job.

To sum up, Reedus also explained how his role in Ballerina fared in comparison with his other outings such as his Daryl Dixon role by outlining that the former had no “sloppy” fight sequences whereas the latter did, and hence, his justification for it being physically demanding.

Keanu Reeves can star in Ballerina despite on-screen death

Ana de Armas in a still from No Time to Die | MGM and Universal Pictures
The star icon of the franchise and the one whose credibility pushed it beyond a billion dollars at the box office, Ballerina will indeed feature Keanu Reeves as John Wick but more likely as a cameo or in a small but key role. Despite John Wick: Chapter 4 bringing fans to an apparent conclusion of his death, the spin-off makes room for his appearance as its events occur between the happenings of the third and fourth installments and thus, long before his climactic fight.

The action thriller directed by Len Wiseman will center around Ana de Armas as the character of Rooney, a ballerina assassin. Moreover, the major chunk of the plot will have her on a question to seek revenge for her family’s murder.

Finally, it is also expected to carry on the trademark frame rate manipulation, attention to detail, practical effects, gun-fu warfare, and unmatched combat that has always remained a staple celebrated trait of the franchise, although, at a smaller scale.