Latest news with #JohnWick4
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
GameTV partners with Paramount+ in Canada to Greenlight Original Canadian Miniseries HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY from New Metric Media in Association with Bay Mills Studios
John Wick 4 's Shamier Anderson stars as Ben Johnson and serves as an Executive Producer of the six-episode series Created by (The Office), HATE THE PLAYER starts production on June 20, 2025, in Toronto TORONTO, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- Award-winning comedy entertainment studio and 360-degree brand marketing leader New Metric Media, in association with Bay Mills Studios, is excited to announce that new original comedic miniseries HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is off the blocks and running. Anthem Sports & Entertainment 's linear network GameTV has commissioned the six-episode series and will be its exclusive cable home in Canada, while Paramount+ in Canada, which developed the series with New Metric, will be its exclusive streaming platform in the country. Shamier Anderson (John Wick 4, Invasion) stars as Ben Johnson and will also serve as an Executive Producer for Bay Mills Studios. HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use, going from hero to zero in 9.79 seconds in what some called "The Dirtiest Race in History". The series takes a revealing and satirical look at the events surrounding the legendary race and the scandal behind the scandal. New Metric Media identified and put the project together, entering into development on the series with Paramount+ in Canada in 2023. The series is created by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office, Shelved, Run the Burbs), who serves as showrunner and Executive Producer. New Metric Media CEO Mark Montefiore (Letterkenny, Shoresy, Children Ruin Everything) and director R.T. Thorne will also executive produce, alongside Anderson and Stephan James for Bay Mills Studio. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as Producer and Supervising Producer, respectively, for New Metric. Thorne (The Porter) and Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys) are set to direct. Series star Shamier Anderson can currently be seen in the massively successful John Wick 4, as well as Simon Kinberg's Invasion on AppleTV+, which will launch its third season later this year. He also starred opposite Paul Walter Hauser in IFC Films' The Luckiest Man in America, which premiered at TIFF 2024. "Everyone thinks they know the story of Ben Johnson and the scandal that has followed him since the 1988 Olympics, but they won't know what hit them with HATE THE PLAYER," said Shamier Anderson. "For me, this hits differently. I grew up in Scarborough, where Ben trained, where his name still echoes. He was a hometown legend. Yes complicated, but also someone people rooted for. Being able to step into his shoes, especially with a lens that blends comedy and Ben's point of view, means a lot. And getting to do it alongside New Metric Media, who've been killing it in comedy, is a real honour, not just as an actor, but as an executive producer with my company, Bay Mills Studios." Anderson is represented by OAZ, Mosaic, CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Farrell is represented by Sheree Guitar Entertainment, Ambition Talent and Jonathan Shikora (LGN Law). "From the outset, we knew two things to be true. One, people knew what Ben Johnson did to the world, but not what the world did to Ben Johnson. And two, if we were lucky enough to tell this story, that Shamier Anderson had to play Ben. Full stop," said New Metric Media CEO Mark Montefiore. "Anthony's take on the story is inventive, hilarious, completely irreverent and we are proud to be working with GameTV and Paramount+, who have shown nothing but giant cajónes in supporting this project." "This marks an exciting milestone for GameTV, giving us the unique opportunity to present a major original Canadian program offering on our network," said Maria Donatelli, Vice President of Programming, GameTV. "HATE THE PLAYER embodies the bold, genre-busting storytelling we're proud to champion. It's a fearless, fast-paced comedy that dares to reimagine a moment in Canadian sports history with sharp wit and wild energy, we look forward to sharing it with our viewers." "From announcing the development of New Metric's HATE THE PLAYER at Banff in 2023 to now partnering with Anthem Sports & Entertainment's GameTV for the greenlight, we're excited to see this bold, comedic take on an iconic Canadian story move to production," said Vanessa Case, Vice President of Content at Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada. "Paramount+ is proud to have championed this project from the start, and this collaboration marks an exciting and innovative model for us — a streamer joining forces with a linear broadcaster to deliver compelling Canadian content to even broader audiences and providing another sustainable model for the Canadian production community." Set to debut on GameTV and Paramount+ in Canada simultaneously in early 2026, HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is being produced with participation from Ben Johnson and is inspired by extensive research conducted by Canadian author and journalist, Mary Ormsby. Principal photography begins on June 20, 2025, at Dark Slope Studios in Toronto. New Metric Media is distributing the miniseries internationally. ABOUT NEW METRIC MEDIA Based in Toronto, New Metric Media is an award-winning independent entertainment studio specializing in building comedy brands across tv production, live entertainment, distribution, merchandising and licensing. Recipient of Playback's 2022 Production Company of the Year award and the Banff World Media Festival's 2018 Innovative Producer Award, the company's slate of programming includes the hit Crave/Hulu original comedy Letterkenny, the Crave/Hulu Letterkenny spinoff series Shoresy, the CTV/CW/Roku half-hour comedy Children Ruin Everything and half-hour Crave comedy series Bria Mack Gets a Life. New Metric Media is recognized as a leader in 360-degree brand marketing and its success with Letterkenny and Shoresy off-screen extensions, including beer, collectible merchandise, the sold-out Letterkenny Live stage show and the Shoresy Fall Classic hockey event, set to land in five NHL arenas later this year. ABOUT BAY MILLS STUDIOS Bay Mills is a cutting-edge production company founded by actors, producers, and brothers, Shamier Anderson and Golden Globe Nominee Stephan James. Bay Mills is focused on showcasing an eclectic and inclusive lineup of diverse stories from feature films, scripted and unscripted TV, short-form, digital media, and a panoply of other platform-agnostic content. Shamier and Stephan combine their creative expertise and ability to engage global audiences to create groundbreaking content that pushes the boundaries, all while being rooted in entertainment. ABOUT GAMETV GameTV is a Canadian channel specializing in game-related programming such as game shows, competition-based shows, reality series and movies. The channel is available in over 6+ million homes in digital basic on IPTV, cable and satellite systems throughout the territory. GameTV is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., a leading global sports media company. Follow GameTV on @GameTVCanada on X and Instagram @gametvnetwork. ABOUT ANTHEM SPORTS &ENTERTAINMENT INC. Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company that owns and operates sports and entertainment brands that super serve passionate communities. Anthem's entertainment group includes AXS TV, the ultimate destination for music; HDNet Movies and Hollywood Suite, featuring blockbuster and popular films from the 70s to today; and GameTV, featuring classic and current game shows. Anthem's Sports Group owns iconic wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling; the all-female MMA organization Invicta Fighting Championships; Fight Network, the world's premier combat sports channel; and the North American sports hub Game+. For more information, visit ABOUT PARAMOUNT+ Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Wick's Chad Stahelski Got ‘Honest' About Initially Not Wanting Keanu Reeves In Ballerina. Why It Happened Anyway
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The world of John Wick is expanding with the newly released spinoff film Ballerina, which follows Ana de Armas' Eve Macarro as she embarks on a revenge-fueled path. While the 2025 movie release is definitely Eve's film it also features the Baba Yaga himself, played by the returning Keanu Reeves. As much as excited as some fans may have been to see Reeves reprise his famous role, though fellow franchise veteran Chad Stahelski honestly didn't want him to return. So that begs the question of why it happened regardless. Having directed all four of the John Wick films and served as a producer on the series as well, Chad Stahelski knows more than a few things about this beloved IP. So, at this point, he's definitely not shy about voicing his opinion when it comes to details he's not too fond of. The Ballerina producer spoke to THR, during which he confirmed that he wasn't keen on Wick himself popping up in this latest story. While Stahelski didn't dive deep into his reasoning, he was 'honest' in admitting the benefit of having the character in the mix: That wasn't in the original script. To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. We had just opened John Wick 4 and it was huge. He couldn't go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up. In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over — at least, from the studio point of view — was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline. Overall, that logic is understandable, considering that Lionsgate is trying to prop up a new character, Eve, with this latest film. So it would make sense for the execs and filmmakers to try and give the spinoff a bump by having Wick play a supporting role. I'm not sure what the producer's exact concern was in regard to adding Wick to the story. Maybe he was worried that having the infamous assassin pop in might take the shine away from Eve. That would be a genuine concern, but I'd argue that Wick doesn't step on Eve's toes too much. More on Ballerina Ballerina Review: Low Expectations Definitely Help Combat High Franchise Standards For The John Wick Spinoff Ballerina may muck up John Wick's timeline a bit, but it's hard to deny the sheer awesomeness that results from the film's chronological placement. Without getting too specific, Wick shows up a few times in the film, with his initial appearance being part of a more personal scene. Of course, as the trailers and TV spots have teased, he and Eve come to blows in a big way, and the sequence makes the movie tickets well worth the price of admission. However, fans should know that just because Keanu Reeves reprised his role for this latest spinoff, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll return in other offshoots. Chad Stahelski went on to confirm to THR that Reeves will not appear in the film focused on Donnie Yen's Caine. Stahelski went on to explain why he's not worried about having the franchise's signature character appear in that flick: The Donny Yen spinoff doesn't have the John Wick character. It's got Donny Yen and it's an ode to kung fu movies. If John Wick 1 was about Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, this is about Chow Yun-fat, John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. So I think that one is a little easier to get it across to audiences because it's in a sub-genre of what we love. Despite that, there is good news for those who are hoping to see Wick appear once more. John Wick: Chapter 5 was officially announced earlier this year and, while Chad Stahelski says it may not be completely set in stone, he believes Lionsgate is going to 'will it into existence.' I look forward to seeing more of the character but remain hopeful that other characters, like Eve and Caine, can carve out their own paths alone as well. For now, check out Ballerina in theaters, and be on the lookout for upcoming action movies.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New ‘John Wick 5' Update Reveals Keanu Reeves Isn't Onboard With a Prequel
While the ending of John Wick 4 left the obvious impression that we had seen the last of Keanu Reeves in his popular role, fans were given a Christmas present in early April. At CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas, Adam Fogelson, the chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, revealed that Reeves and director Chad Stahelski were working on John Wick 5. The news came a bit out of left field, but the initial belief was that it'd happen after spinoffs such as the recently released Ballerina and upcoming film Caine. Regardless, given how John Wick 4 ended, it was bound to be a tall task for Stahelski and Reeves to finalize a game plan quickly. That's proven to be the case, and since the announcement, the comments from Stahelski about the fifth movie in the series have been candid, but they have also led to some concern for fans. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, a question was posed to Stahelski, citing the director's plan not to renege on the ending of the fourth film, meaning John Wick will still be dead, and whether it's "evolved." Stahelski first discussed the writing, but mentioned that "it's a matter of whether we crack [the story]." "I'm not going to lie to you, it's a bit of a conundrum. Me and Mike Finch — the writer on 4 who's also writing 5 — we've got a pretty good story that I think is cool," Stahelski said. "Once we have a 50-page book, and if we're feeling it, we'll sit with Keanu and shape this thing. Look, everybody seems to want it. It's a matter of whether we crack it. We're actively working on it. It's just … is it going to be satisfying?"Along with a mildly worrisome comment about "cracking" the story, the director also tossed out the hypothetical that they "go down the road of John Wick 5" but "decide this isn't right." "If we go down the road of John Wick 5 and build this story and decide this isn't right, there are probably going to be 10 other things we'll discover that we'll use for other things," he said. "It's a great creative exercise. It's being in the room riffing with people we love. That's nothing but wins." The general approach leaves the feeling that there's plenty of uncertainty around John Wick 5, at least from Stahelski and possibly Reeves. He ultimately told The Hollywood Reporter that "the studio would very much will [the movie] into existence" at some point, and that "we're going to try" while citing that they do have a couple of really good ideas already. So by this point, fans are likely thinking about what you may consider the obvious route for the fifth installment of the John Wick series—a prequel. To the credit of THR, the question about a possible prequel was posed to Stahelski, but was promptly turned back. Stahelski revealed that Reeves isn't interested in a John Wick prequel, and that he's in the same boat. "Keanu and I are not interested in going backwards," Stahelski said of a possible John Wick prequel. With Reeves and Stahelski both out on the idea of a prequel, and the latter planning to stick with the storyline that leaves John Wick dead, the director needs to formulate a highly unique approach for a fifth film. It's easy to understand why Stahelski is approaching John Wick 5 in the fashion he is. Fortunately, it doesn't appear there's a reason to sound the alarm at this point, but we also shouldn't expect significant news about the fifth movie anytime in the immediate 'John Wick 5' Update Reveals Keanu Reeves Isn't Onboard With a Prequel first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
Gulf Today
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Ana de Armas is better at killing than ballet in ‘Ballerina'
Watch a bunch of John Wick movies all in a row, and you can get pretty paranoid. You start to think everyone's an assassin. The guy at the newsstand, the street musician, the subway rider, that nice neighbour in the elevator — ruthless contract killers, all. So perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising that in 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' the latest installment in the Wickian world, we reach the logical endpoint: a town where every single inhabitant's a killer. Yes, it's a picture-perfect, snowy winterscape in Austria, where everyone wears wool beanies and very nice sweaters. But they also wield a mean flamethrower, and schoolkids have mandatory shooting practice. The early scenes in this wacky place high in the mountains are the best part of 'Ballerina' — they actually contain deft surprises and even a glimmer of humor, which is hardly something we expect in a John Wick film. (Have you ever see the guy smile?) Watching our energetic star, Ana de Armas, engage in a plate-smashing contest with a sweet waitress-turned-vicious-killer reminds us that action can be clever, even if most scenes in this series inevitably become numbing, as the body count rises stratospherically. Before we go further, some clarification on where this film fits into the timeline. Let's forget (for now) that there was a John Wick 4, because the events of 'Ballerina' take place during the third movie. So, erase from your mind whatever huge, life-altering thing may or may not have happened in the last film. OK? Eagle-eyed viewers may, in fact, remember a brief scene in the third movie where a ballerina is trying to do a series of fouettés, those whiplash turns on one leg that are a big attraction in 'Swan Lake.' The same scene returns in 'Ballerina,' where we see de Armas' character, Eve, doggedly trying to master them in training. Why she keeps falling — every time, after years and years of class — is a mystery. We don't aim for full realism in action films, guys, but may we suggest that falling flat on the floor in your pointe shoes every time you do a turn feels like much more difficult stunt work than anything else in 'Ballerina' — including obliterating a horde of townspeople. It also speaks to a troubling lack of coordination, a definite problem for an assassin. Anyway! We actually first meet Eve as a child, living alone with her cherished father in some wind-swept coastal abode. Suddenly, a crew of black-clad assassins arrives by sea, targeting the father. He manages to protect Eve, but dies from his wounds. Soon, now-orphaned Eve is approached by Winston (Ian McShane, returning) owner of the Continental Hotel. Winston says he can bring her to her father's family. He takes her to The Director (a haughty Anjelica Huston), who welcomes the budding dancer to what seems an elite ballet academy but is also the training ground of the Ruska Roma, the crime organization where Wick himself learned his trade. The years go by. Eve is now a young woman determined to strike out on her own, though she still has problems completing a fouetté turn. ('Tend to your wounds before you get sepsis and we have to cut off your feet,' the Director suggests helpfully.) Luckily she shows more aptitude with firearms. And that's important, because her overriding goal is to avenge the death of her father. So when Wick himself (Keanu Reeves, of course, appearing in a few key scenes) makes a crucial stop at the academy, Eve looks at him and asks, 'How do I get out of here?' 'The front door is unlocked,' Wick replies — a line that got applause at the screening I was at, but so did virtually everything Wick said or did. 'No, how do I start doing what YOU do?' Eve asks. Wick tells her she can still leave — she has the choice to reject a killer's life. The sad subtext: He does not. Associated Press
Mint
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Movie Review: Ana de Armas is better at killing than ballet in ‘Ballerina,' a John Wick spinoff
Watch a bunch of John Wick movies all in a row, and you can get pretty paranoid. You start to think everyone's an assassin. The guy at the newsstand, the street musician, the subway rider, that nice neighbor in the elevator — ruthless contract killers, all. So perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising that in 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' the latest installment in the Wickian world, we reach the logical endpoint: a town where every single inhabitant's a killer. Yes, it's a picture-perfect, snowy winterscape in Austria, where everyone wears wool beanies and very nice sweaters. But they also wield a mean flamethrower, and schoolkids have mandatory shooting practice. The early scenes in this wacky place high in the mountains are the best part of 'Ballerina' — they actually contain deft surprises and even a glimmer of humor, which is hardly something we expect in a John Wick film. (Have you ever see the guy smile?) Watching our energetic star, Ana de Armas, engage in a plate-smashing contest with a sweet waitress-turned-vicious-killer reminds us that action can be clever, even if most scenes in this series inevitably become numbing, as the body count rises stratospherically. Before we go further, some clarification on where this film fits into the timeline. Let's forget (for now) that there was a John Wick 4, because the events of 'Ballerina' take place during the third movie. So, erase from your mind whatever huge, life-altering thing may or may not have happened in the last film. OK? Eagle-eyed viewers may, in fact, remember a brief scene in the third movie where a ballerina is trying to do a series of fouettés, those whiplash turns on one leg that are a big attraction in 'Swan Lake.' The same scene returns in 'Ballerina,' where we see de Armas' character, Eve, doggedly trying to master them in training. Why she keeps falling — every time, after years and years of class — is a mystery. We don't aim for full realism in action films, guys, but may we suggest that falling flat on the floor in your pointe shoes every time you do a turn feels like much more difficult stunt work than anything else in 'Ballerina' — including obliterating a horde of townspeople. It also speaks to a troubling lack of coordination, a definite problem for an assassin. Anyway! We actually first meet Eve as a child, living alone with her cherished father in some wind-swept coastal abode. Suddenly, a crew of black-clad assassins arrives by sea, targeting the father. He manages to protect Eve, but dies from his wounds. Soon, now-orphaned Eve is approached by Winston (Ian McShane, returning) owner of the Continental Hotel. Winston says he can bring her to her father's family. He takes her to The Director (a haughty Anjelica Huston), who welcomes the budding dancer to what seems an elite ballet academy but is also the training ground of the Ruska Roma, the crime organization where Wick himself learned his trade. The years go by. Eve is now a young woman determined to strike out on her own, though she still has problems completing a fouetté turn. ('Tend to your wounds before you get sepsis and we have to cut off your feet,' the Director suggests helpfully.) Luckily she shows more aptitude with firearms. And that's important, because her overriding goal is to avenge the death of her father. So when Wick himself (Keanu Reeves, of course, appearing in a few key scenes) makes a crucial stop at the academy, Eve looks at him and asks, 'How do I get out of here?' 'The front door is unlocked,' Wick replies – a line that got applause at the screening I was at, but so did virtually everything Wick said or did. 'No, how do I start doing what YOU do?' Eve asks. Wick tells her she can still leave — she has the choice to reject a killer's life. The sad subtext: He does not. But while Wick wants out — always — Eve wants IN. Otherwise we wouldn't have a movie. And so, her quest for vengeance takes her, clue by dangerous clue (and against the Director's strict orders) to the snowy hamlet of Hallstatt. There, the fearsome Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne, duly chilly) leads a band of assassins — all of whom want to kill her. Oh, also: the Chancellor killed her dad. And so Eve has to fight, using all the training and ingenuity she has amassed. One lesson she must draw on, from a trusted teacher: 'Fight like a girl.' In this case, as you can imagine, that's not a derogatory phrase. What it means is to lean into your strengths — you won't beat a man by brute force, the teacher has told her, but with smarts and inventiveness. That means using ever more interesting weapons to kill an endless supply of people (it must be said, the cheers from moviegoers are, as ever, disconcerting.) And, by the end, getting pretty comfortable with a flamethrower. 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' a Lionsgate release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association 'for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language. ' Running time: 125 minutes. Two stars out of four.
