Making movies is challenging, and making a splash at the box office is even harder. On paper, a John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas as a lethal soldier of the Ruska Roma sounds like a guaranteed money-maker. However, audiences are fickle, and going to the cinema is expensive, even if you’re sneaking snacks from the Bulk Barn and requesting sparkling water instead of Coca-Cola. Despite positive reviews and solid word of mouth, Armas’s Ballerina stumbled at the box office. Thankfully, Ballerina is already Jetéing to the top of the PVOD charts.
According to FlixPatrol, Ballerina finished second on iTunes in the United States on July 1 and July 2. The action-packed film finished third on Vudu and seventh on Amazon on July 2.
Produced on a reported $90 million budget, Ballerina danced to a $110 million take at the worldwide box office. These aren’t the numbers you’d expect from a John Wick spin-off, but it’s tough to be a female-led action film in a time of soaring ticket prices, more-than-excellent home theater setups, and fast PVOD release dates.
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. As Eve’s story unfolds, she uses her marksmanship, cunning, and hand-to-hand combat skills to rip through a sect of the assassin order that destroyed an aspect of her life. There’s no holding back, and no amount of finely-fitted Kevlar will save you.
Ana de Armas leads Ballerina, with Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Anne Parillaud, David Castañeda, Abraham Popoola, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves rounding out the cast.
Our EIC Chris Bumbray had a blast with the movie, saying in his review, “Ballerina is one of the more satisfying franchise spin-offs in recent memory. In this era of IP, every studio is desperate to max out the potential sequels and spin-offs their key franchises can handle, and Lionsgate has a whole slew planned around the John Wick franchise. Yet, what makes Ballerina different is that this doesn’t feel like much of a derivative of the franchise.”
Will you check out Ballerina on PVOD this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.
