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This San Diego Comic-Con announced several films currently in development. One of which was the extremely exciting announcement of the John Wick spin-off film, The Ballerina, partly thanks to the official casting of Ana de Armas as the title character. But it looks like de Armas had some conditions when she signed on to the project.
The Knives Out breakout star understood that to tell a feminist story the right way, especially in regards to a strong female character, known as “The Ballerina,” it was important to champion women’s voices in the process. De Armas insisted that the team hired a female writer for the project, especially when so many men had already signed on to the film. Speaking to Elle, the actress reflected on the importance of having this feminine influence on the project. She shared:
It was really important for me to hire a female writer, because to that point when I got involved in the project, it was only the director, Len Wiseman, and another guy. And I was like, ‘That’s not going to work.’ So I interviewed, like, five or six female writers. We hired Emerald Fennell, which I was so proud of.
Emerald Fennell is an incredible choice for the John Wick spin-off. Fennell received an Oscar for penning the 2020 film, Promising Young Woman, which she also directed. The writer/director also acted as the showrunner for season 2 of BBC’s Killing Eve. I love watching women supporting other women in the film industry. A female perspective influencing the writing process can make characters feel so much more realized and multifaceted. I personally can’t wait to see de Armas’ and Fennell’s take on the character. Both women have unique creative voices that are perfect for this project. The film doesn’t have a release date, and is currently still in pre-production.
Ana de Armas is no stranger to portraying strong female characters. The Blade Runner 2049 star has been very busy since her turn in the James Bond film, No Time To Die, which was released in theaters in October of last year. Already this year she starred alongside her former beau Ben Affleck in the Hulu film Deep Water, and alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in the Netflix hit The Gray Man. In addition she is set to star in a Marilyn Monroe biopic, Blonde, which will be streaming on Netflix September 23rd, 2022. The film has attracted attention for its controversial NC-17 rating.
While we patiently await another action-packed addition to the incredibly successful John Wick franchise, you can watch Fennell’s beautifully written Promising Young Woman, currently streaming on HBO Max. You can also catch the Oscar winner portraying Camilla Parker Bowles in Netflix’s The Crown, streaming now.