Delve into the high-octane stunts of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina with coordinators Stephen Dunlevy & Jackson Spidell in this interview.
The John Wick franchise has carved a unique niche in action cinema. It is well known for its breathtakingly long, intricately choreographed action sequences. Now, the world expands with From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, introducing us to a new protagonist, Eve, portrayed by Ana de Armas.
To bring Eve’s dangerous journey to life, the film relied on the expertise of veteran stunt coordinators Stephen Dunlevy (Supervising Stunt Coordinator) and Jackson Spidell (Stunt Coordinator). In these interviews, Dunlevy and Spidell took us behind the scenes, revealing the challenges, the thrills, and the dedication it took to craft the film’s signature action.
The Crucial Element: Actor Commitment
For Stephen Dunlevy, a veteran of the John Wick universe, having worked on the second, third, and fourth installments, the biggest hurdle in creating those iconic one-shot action sequences boils down to one thing: the actor’s commitment to training.
“The biggest challenge with anything like that is the amount of time an actor is willing to give us to be able to train them up,” Dunlevy explains. He was quick to praise Ana de Armas’ dedication. “And then Anna came in on that first day, and you could just see how committed she was and how interested she was and how much passion she brought to the project. It was like, okay, we’re good here.”
De Armas’ enthusiasm went beyond just learning the choreography. “She gave us the time. She gave us the commitment. She gave us that hard work. She’d be comparing bruises to some of the stunt guys and she was proud of them. She’d be showing them off.” This eagerness allowed the stunt team to push the boundaries further. “The more she got into that, the more we could do with her, and the more excitement she had.”
He also credited Lionsgate and 87eleven Action Design for providing the necessary time for actor training, a crucial element often overlooked by other studios. “And obviously, also Lionsgate and 87, because they give us the time to be able to train with those actors. Not every studio was going to go, oh, yeah, that’s worth it.”
Crafting a Unique Fighting Style for Eve
One of the key aspects of Ballerina was establishing Eve as her own distinct character, not just a female John Wick. Dunlevy highlighted the differences in their physicality and motivations. “It’s very different with a six-foot-tall guy versus a five-foot-seven lady. There are strength comparisons. There’s physicality.”
The approach to designing Eve’s fights focused on her intelligence and resourcefulness. “We wanted to put her in perilous situations where she had to think her way out. She had to be smarter. You see it when she punches a guy in the face, and she’s like, ‘Oh my hand, I nearly broke my hand because I’ve got to think of a smarter way.’ Fight like a girl. Use your vulnerabilities to your own and think smarter, be smarter, be faster, be aware of what’s around you and use that sequence.”
Jackson Spidell echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative process with Ana de Armas. “Creating her new character. That’s vulnerable. That’s not calculated. She’s not a female John Wick, she’s her own monster. So to create something brand new was a lot of fun.”
The Return of a Legend: Working with Keanu Reeves
The inclusion of Keanu Reeves as John Wick in Ballerina was a significant moment for fans. Dunlevy and Spidell shared their experiences of reuniting with the action icon. “That was great.” Dunlevy reminisced. “I worked with him with two and three and four. I know Keanu very well… it was amazing having him part of that world again.”
Dunlevy described the dynamic between Reeves and de Armas on set: “Keanu brings an intensity, brings his passion to his training as well. There was a little bit, on that first day, seeing them training together and seeing her there, it was almost like you’re in the Ruska Roma. You’re seeing the old school and the new school.”
He felt Reeves’ presence served as a “passing of the torch” moment. “It definitely felt like a passing of the torch… it’s the icing on the cake. And when we go off onto the next films, she is part of that world.”
Spidell echoed the sentiment of working with Reeves again. “I didn’t get to do Wick four. I did the first three, and we became very close. Very good friends. When we got to filming that fight… it really just felt like home.”
Pushing the Boundaries: Flamethrowers and Grenade Fights
The John Wick franchise is known for escalating the action with each installment, and Ballerina is no exception. Dunlevy excitedly discussed the inclusion of flamethrowers, a truly insane addition to the on-screen chaos.
He credited the commitment to practical effects and the expertise of Jason Domingo from Action Factory for making the flamethrower sequences possible and safe. “We’re going to do this right. We’re going to do this the John Wick way… every person you see in that sequence is really on fire. We did, I think, close to 200 fire burns in eight days.” He also highlighted the effort to train local stunt performers in safe fire-burning techniques, showcasing the collaborative spirit of the production.
Another memorable action set piece involved a grenade fight in an enclosed space, an idea that originated with director Len Wiseman. “He came to me. He’s like, so how do you feel about a grenade fight? I’m like, huh? And then he was like, we’re going to do a grenade fight in an enclosed space in this basement,” Dunlevy chuckled.
The challenge was adapting the destructive power of grenades to a confined environment while maintaining the franchise’s signature long takes. “How do you do that with a grenade? How do we do it in long sequences with as few cuts as possible? We can go through floors. We can use a door as a shield.”
He proudly pointed out the one-shot execution of a particular moment: “When she’s puts the grenade in the guy’s mouth and then closes the door, that’s all one shot.”
Eve’s Distinct Identity
Both Dunlevy and Spidell reiterated the importance of establishing Eve’s unique identity within the John Wick universe.
Dunlevy explained, “I think one of the things we wanted to approach when we first started was when you first meet John Wick, he is already John Wick. He’s retired. He’s gone through this. He’s an assassin who’s in his 50s. He’s matured. And he’s also six foot tall and he’s a guy. And then we have this young Eve MaCarro. She’s driven by vengeance. She has this fire in her, but she’s also this young rookie… we wanted to show the arc and the progression of this character and how she comes about fighting in her own style.” He emphasized her reliance on speed, agility, and intelligence over brute strength, highlighting the “feline aspect” to her fighting.
Spidell echoed this, stating, “She doesn’t have the experience he has. He’s been doing it for a thousand years… She left the Ruska Roma. She doesn’t have the knowledge or the outside experience yet. Hopefully, if they do more, you’ll get to see that progression.”
Thanks to the dedication and creativity of Stephen Dunlevy, Jackson Spidell, and their entire stunt team, audiences are in for a wild and unforgettable ride with Ballerina. And as Dunlevy enthusiastically declared, “We had a ball. We had so much fun making that film. I would come back in a heartbeat,” the future of Eve’s story seems bright indeed.
Be sure to check out our full Ballerina stunt team interview for more behind-the-scenes information.
NEXT: Ballerina Review: Epic Action Sequences..But That’s About It
About Ballerina
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
