BallerinadirectorLen Wisemanclarifies the misconceptions that have circulated about the film’s reshoots and exactly how extensive they were.Ballerinais the latest entry in theJohn Wickfranchise, withUnderworlddirector Len Wiseman stepping in as director from franchise mainstay Chad Stahelski. Around 2024, it was reported thatBallerinawas undergoing numerous reshoots after disappointment among Lionsgate executives that it was not living up to the franchise’s potential and that Stahelski had been brought in to oversee them.
Wiseman spoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout howBallerinadid not have reshoots. Instead, they filmed more scenes they initially had to cut due to budget concerns after Lionsgate saw a draft of the film. Wiseman comments on both him andJohn Wickdirector Chad Stahelski’s frustration with how the additional photography was reported in the media, which turned into a bigger story than it was. Wiseman said:
“We [Wiseman and Stahelski] were both frustrated about it. It’s a really frustrating thing [to hear such claims], and it happens more today than it did back in the day. There was additional shooting because the studio loved the movie. We had to take out some scenes from the script originally because we just didn’t have the resources or the schedule. [Lionsgate] then really believed in the [early cut of the] movie after we put it together, so it was an exciting opportunity to go back and add more to the film. But when the press hears about that and the reports become whatever they are, it always has a negative connotation. But I’m just so glad that we were able to go back.”
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Why Fans Often Mistake Reshoots and Additional Photography
This isn’t the first time that Wiseman has downplayed the severity of the rumors. In November 2024,Wiseman previously clarified it was not reshootsbut additional photography added to the film. Despite this, the narrative held that Stahelski was brought in to “save"Ballerina. Yet the biggest piece of extra footage wasn’t one of the film’s much-talked-about climactic action scenes but the opening sequence. Wiseman told theHollywood Reporter:
“For instance, it was really important to me that we showed Ana’s character as a little girl, and we didn’t have that opening before [additional photography]. It was in the script, but we just didn’t have the time and the schedule and everything needed to do that. So that was one of the scenes that we went back to do, and I was absolutely thrilled that the studio was so supportive of us going back to get what we wanted.”
In recent years, reshoots and additional photography have become synonyms. While additional photography and reshoots are more extensive than pick-ups, the two serve different purposes. Additional photography is typically done to add scenes after an edit instead of reworking existing scenes. Sometimes additional photography is ordered because the studio is confident in the project and wants to invest more money to improve it, as withBallerina. There are cases of films with new directors coming in to rework existing films and reshoot major segments of the film, notablyTony Gilroy being brought in to overseeRogue Oneor Joss Whedon onJustice League, but those are exceptions.
Now that the finished movie is out and getting positive reviews, much of the praise has been placed on Stahelski rather than Wiseman. This is despite the clear distinction between whatfootage Stahelski seemingly oversawin the additional photography period he reportedly came on and what was in Wiseman’s original cut. Fans have latched onto a narrative they want, because it is easier to believe thatJohn Wickneeded Stahelski to save it rather than accepting the director of the remake ofTotal Recallcould make a movie likeBallerina.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
