Keanu Reeves was spotted wearing his traditional martial arts gi while rehearsing intricate combat sequences with Ana de Armas for their upcoming film “Ballerina,” the highly anticipated John Wick spin-off scheduled to hit theaters on June 6, 2025.
The recently released footage, though brief at under 30 seconds, provides a fascinating window into the collaborative process between the two A-list stars as they work alongside stunt coordinators to perfect their action choreography.
De Armas, who plays Eve Macarro—a ballerina training to become an assassin—can be seen intensely focused as she prepares to square off against Reeves’ legendary character, John Wick. During one of the rehearsal takes, the Cuban-born actress accidentally makes contact with Reeves while practicing her moves.
“You do your thing,” Reeves reassured her after she quickly apologized for the mishap, showcasing the supportive dynamic between the two stars who are now working together for the third time.
For Reeves, this level of physical training has become second nature, particularly his deep immersion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu—a discipline he’s extensively studied for his role as John Wick. “As you get deeper and deeper into training, you get less and less normal life,” Reeves explained in a recent interview about his preparation methods. “Which I’ve enjoyed, but focused on it [training]. Friends are like, ‘Where did you go?’ I’m in the training paradigm.”
This dedication has not gone unnoticed by martial arts experts. For “John Wick: Chapter 4,” Reeves trained extensively with the renowned Machado brothers to elevate his grappling skills. Rigan Machado, one of his trainers, expressed amazement at Reeves’ commitment: “Every position, he knows how to escape, how to set up, how to counterattack, and how to do submissions. They have their focus, their determination, everything perfect. They’re very present.”
Reeves himself embraces the physical challenges of his action roles. “I really enjoyed the physical side of it,” he shares. “I’m a Virgo. I like tasks. I like the puzzle. I like trying to get good at something. So it’s fun to do physical stuff, figure it out and try to be great at it.”
The latest footage from “Ballerina” suggests that de Armas may have found the perfect training partner in Reeves. In the practiced sequence, her character initially appears to gain the upper hand against Wick before he turns the tables—promising the kind of high-octane combat that fans of the franchise have come to expect.
While de Armas has consistently expressed admiration for Reeves throughout their professional relationship, that clearly hasn’t stopped her from giving her all in their action sequences together, making “Ballerina” one of next year’s most eagerly awaited action spectacles.
