Norman Reedus was put through the wringer on the set of Ballerina, it seems

Having been a part of the long-running zombie horror franchise The Walking Dead for nearly 15 years, Norman Reedus is no stranger to an action sequence. But the fights on upcoming thriller Ballerina tested his limits.

While promoting Jeff Nicholls’ new drama The Bikeriders, starring Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, and Austin Butler, the actor recalled the John Wick spin-off’s “painful” reshoots, as he teased what to expect from the flick.

“It was painful,” he laughed. “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.”

Starring Knives Out’s Ana de Armas, the movie is set to center on Rooney, a dancer-turned-assassin for the ruthless Ruska Roma crime family, with which John had dealings with himself in the original series. The character, who will be reintroduced on a quest for revenge, was actually first glimpsed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, but was played in that film by Unity Phelan.

Wick (Keanu Reeves), Charon (the late Lance Reddick), The Director (Anjelica Huston), and Winston (Ian McShane) are all expected to make cameos in the Len Wiseman-directed flick. Gabriel Byrne, and Catalina Sandino Moreno round out the supporting cast.

Principal photography initially wrapped in February 2023, but Wiseman, producer Chad Stahelski and the rest of the team decided to add more action to the film later in the year, resulting in reshoots taking place in February 2024. On April 26, 2024, Tina Roesler Kerwin, a member of the makeup team, posted on her Instagram account that Ballerina had officially wrapped.

Ballerina is due to release in cinemas on June 6, 2025. While we wait, check out our picks of the best action movies for some viewing inspiration.