These are the john Wick films you must see before the spinoff, Ballerina, which is set to hit theaters shortly.  With the 2014 release of john Wick, which starred Keanu Reeves as the title character, a famed assassin who comes out of retirement to exact revenge on the man who killed his dog—a last gift from his recently deceased wife—the action franchise began with relatively humble beginnings.  Over the years, the franchise and its story have expanded rapidly, and chad Stahelski has directed three sequels. 

Len Wiseman's Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas as the titular ballerina-turned-assassin on a mission for vengeance, will be the first movie in the trilogy to deflect attention from john Wick.  Reeves as john Wick, Ian McShane - Winston Scott, the late Lance Reddick as Charon, and Anjelica Huston as the director are among the franchise stars who are returning to reprise roles in Ballerina.  It's unclear, though, how closely Ballerina relates to the major john Wick films. 

How Ballerina Fits Into The john Wick movie Chronology

It's Set Between Chapters 3 & 4


Between john Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum—and Chapter 4, Ballerina introduces de Armas as the former ballet dancer who trains in the lethal arts of the Ruska roma in order to get revenge on those responsible for her father's murder.  Eve stays at the Continental Hotel during her search, where Winston and Charon watch over her.  According to the teasers for Ballerina, Eve and john Wick will confront each other and ultimately engage in combat. 

It's also important to keep in mind that some of the spinoff will occur during Chapter 3's events. For example, in one scene, Eve watches john Wick while he visits the Director.  The movie also includes flashbacks to victoria Comte's character Eve's early years.  But a lot of Ballerina will take place in between Chapters 3 and 4, including Eve's revenge quest and her encounter with john Wick.

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