Uma Thurman (Paycheck, Kill Bill Vol. 1) is back in kill mode in Ballerina Overdrive, an upcoming female-driven thriller that we describe as a possible “Die Hard in a remote inn”.
Directed by Vicky Jewson (The Witcher: Blood Origin) and written by Kate Freund (Afterlife series), Ballerina Overdrive involves a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition (via Deadline).
Thurman is part of the ensemble cast that includes Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place), Iris Apatow (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping), Maddie Ziegler (West Side Story), Avantika (Senior Year) and Michael Culkin (The Nest).
Amazon MGM Studios is finalizing a U.S. deal for Ballerina Overdrive, so a release date should be released soon.
Until then, we leave you the Trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 and John Woo’s Paycheck, both of which starred Uma Thurman .
Is it a joke?
Now titled Pretty Lethal, I just watched this on Prime, and while I was into the concept, the movie fell WAY short.
The idea of using ballet to fight is an interesting idea as it takes a ton of strength, coordination, and stamina to do, but this movie kept ping ponging between trying to make it cool and parody. They should have presented it like gun kata in Equilibrium.
The movie also moves very slowly. It’s not until almost 40 minutes in that there’s any action, and even then it keeps stopping and starting over and over. Uma Thurman is supposed to be the villain, yet the plot happens because she can’t control what other people do in her club, and instead of punishing the actual perpetrator, she takes it out on the ballerinas. She comes across as a weak villain with no plans of action.
Maddie Ziegler is very talented, and she had a few action highlights, but they’re undermined by the sloppy structuring of the movie. I would hope she gets a better action role in the future. Her supporting cast doesn’t fare much better as two of her costars play an overly religious zealot and a rich asshole, and they don’t even redeem themselves.
Ultimately Pretty Lethal was a wasted opportunity, and below the standards I have for 87 North.