section_path: Production/Development
section_name: Development
paragraph_text: Development
  
  In July 2017, Lionsgate Films acquired Shay Hatten 's action thriller Ballerina, which itself was inspired when Hatten viewed the trailer to John Wick Chapter 2, with Thunder Road Films producing the film with Hatten rewriting the script to be a part of the John Wick franchise, with the concepts of Ballerina ultimately being written into the third main film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), with a ballerina portrayed by Unity Phelan making an appearance. At the end of the year, the script was voted onto The Black List of best unproduced screenplays in 2017. By October 2019, Len Wiseman was hired to direct the film. In May 2020, it was reported that the studio was looking for an actress to star in the film, with Chloë Grace Moretz as the template for the kind of talent they were looking for. Stahelski met with Wiseman, and approached executives to hire the filmmaker. He confirmed that he and his team will work closely with Wiseman on the action sequences and stunts for the film, while acknowledging that Wiseman's filmmaking style will add variety to the franchise. At that point, Wiseman and Hatten were working on a newer draft of the script. By October 2021, Ana de Armas entered negotiations to play the titular character, a ballerina-assassin. By April 2022, Lionsgate officially announced the film at CinemaCon, and said that de Armas would star in the lead role. In July 2022, Emerald Fennell was hired to contribute to the script as one of its writers.
  
  In July 2017, Lionsgate Films acquired Shay Hatten 's action thriller Ballerina, which itself was inspired when Hatten viewed the trailer to John Wick Chapter 2, with Thunder Road Films producing the film with Hatten rewriting the script to be a part of the John Wick franchise, with the concepts of Ballerina ultimately being written into the third main film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), with a ballerina portrayed by Unity Phelan making an appearance. At the end of the year, the script was voted onto The Black List of best unproduced screenplays in 2017. By October 2019, Len Wiseman was hired to direct the film. In May 2020, it was reported that the studio was looking for an actress to star in the film, with Chloë Grace Moretz as the template for the kind of talent they were looking for. Stahelski met with Wiseman, and approached executives to hire the filmmaker. He confirmed that he and his team will work closely with Wiseman on the action sequences and stunts for the film, while acknowledging that Wiseman's filmmaking style will add variety to the franchise. At that point, Wiseman and Hatten were working on a newer draft of the script. By October 2021, Ana de Armas entered negotiations to play the titular character, a ballerina-assassin. By April 2022, Lionsgate officially announced the film at CinemaCon, and said that de Armas would star in the lead role. In July 2022, Emerald Fennell was hired to contribute to the script as one of its writers.