Len Wiseman: I wanted to work with the fire I saw in Ana De Armas

As the world is set to witness Ana De Armas stepping into the shoes of a ruthless assassin, Eve Macarro, in Ballerina, the John Wick spin-off, director of the film Len Wiseman says Ana did not just inherit the franchise but "earned it." Even though the actor has been a part of intense films like Blade Runner 2049, Ghosted, No Time to Die, and Knives Out, Ana De Armas is playing a full-fledged action role for the first time in Ballerina. Wiseman says he was impressed by Ana's performances in both the Daniel Craig-led films. "There was a fire in Ana that I wanted to meet and work with," Wiseman recalls, as he adds, “At the beginning, I told Ana that since Eve is just beginning her journey as an assassin, the character is going to, at times, get beaten down. Ana’s reply was, ‘Cool. Okay, I’m in.’ During production, she’d show me her bruises from the action and stunts, and they became like merit badges.”

He further delves into the actor's observation of the franchise saying that while Ana loves the John Wick films she believes Ballerina can also be an exciting standalone. “We wanted Eve to be approachable and realistic. She had a very traumatic childhood that changed the lens through which Eve sees life,” he says. What got Wiseman excited about bringing on board Ana in Ballerina was not just seeing how she perfectly fit the role of an assassin but also the moving story of Eve. Wiseman shares, “She’s perfect for the role in many ways. What I love about this franchise is that it is more of an actor-based action, and so we see the actors doing more of their own performance and choreography. And she was game with that.”  

Eve's navigation in the Ruska Roma can be understood as a meta-commentary on women actors manoeuvring their way to the top of a male-dominated movie industry. Wiseman quips, "Eve is seeking many things at the Ruska Roma, and finds herself there. We experience, with Eve, some new layers, and how that organization works—this time from the point of view of someone who is brand new to it and experiencing how to train and move up the ranks." Ballerina will be released in theatres on June 13 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.