Despite a less-than-enthusiastic reception to Len Wiseman’s John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, Hollywood is ready to give the enigmatic dancers another pirouette with Ballerina Overdrive. According to Deadline, Amazon MGM is nearing a U.S. deal for the ensemble action film from The Witcher: Blood Origin helmer Vicky Jewson.
Ballerina Overdrive includes a starry all-female cast, with Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, X-Men: Apocalypse), Iris Apatow (Funny People, This is 40), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place, Wonderstruck), Maddie Ziegler (West Side Story, The Fallout), Avantika (Senior Year, Spin), and Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, The Old Guard 2, Kill Bill) leading the cast. Previously, Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi, and Isabela Merced were supposed to star in Ballerina Overdrive, but have since stepped away. Michael Culkin (The Nest) also stars.
Vicky Jewson directs Ballerina Overdrive from a script by Kate Freund (Creepshow, Wyrm). The plot revolves around a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.
Deadline says Amazon MGM is closing in on the project for $11-12M. Speaking of John Wick, David Leitch and Bullet Train producer Kelly McCormick’s 87North and Bill Bindley and Mike Karz’s Gulfstream Pictures join the financing effort. Piers Tempest also produces, with Amazon MGM looking to turn Ballerina Overdrive into a franchise. The deal is for the action thriller to stream on Prime Video, but there’s room to give the project a theatrical release. Amazon also snagged international rights to Ballerina Overdrive, giving the studio total control of its outreach. Heidi Moneymaker and Renae Moneymaker created the film’s dance-based action choreography, while Jenny Jue cast the film.
What do you think about the concept and cast for Ballerina Overdrive? From the description, I get Yellowjackets vibes and a hint of a Super Massive video game plot (Until Dawn, The Quarry, Man of Medan).
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