The Music Box Office Breakdown: BALLERINA
Welcome to The Music Box Office Breakdown, AMM’s weekly dispatch offering an inside look at the music teams shaping the sound of today’s biggest film releases.
In this week’s Music Box Office Breakdown, we go behind the scenes of Ballerina to spotlight the score, syncs, and the music team driving its $90M franchise spin-off.
Ballerina (2025)
Release Date: June 6, 2025 (Wide Theatrical)
Genre: Action Thriller / Franchise Spin-Off
Studio/Distributor: Starz Entertainment / Lionsgate
Production Companies: Lionsgate, Thunder Road Films, 87Eleven Productions
Budget: ~$90 million
Box Office: Opening Weekend (Domestic): $24.5 million
The Story:
Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina follows Rooney, a skilled assassin trained from childhood in the traditions of ballet and vengeance. When her adoptive family is slaughtered by contract killers, she embarks on a brutal quest for retribution—moving through the criminal underworld with elegance, precision, and unrelenting violence.
Ana de Armas stars as Rooney, who delivers a fierce and physical performance. She’s joined by franchise regulars Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Anjelica Huston (The Director), Ian McShane (Winston), Lance Reddick (Charon), and Gabriel Byrne in a new role that expands the High Table lore.
Creative Team + Studio Execs:
Director: Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard)
Composers: Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard
Hillary Holmes (SVP Music & Soundtracks, Lionsgate)
Producers: Chad Stahelski, Erica Lee, Len Wisema, Basil Iwanyk
Screenwriter: Shay Hatten (John Wick 3, Army of Thieves), Derek Kolstad
Nathan Kahane (President, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group)
Erica Lee (Partner, Thunder Road)
Music Team:
The album features the film’s original score composed by Joel J. Richard (John Wick, Books of Blood, Quantico) & Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool 2, Watchmen, 300, Atomic Blonde, X, Dawn of the Dead).
Composers: Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard
Brian Cachia - Additional music
Dylan Elland - Additional Music
Joel J. Richard - Score Produced & Mixed
Matias Ambrogi-Torres - Score Coordinator
David Cerquetti - Orchestrator
Grace Davidson - Soprano soloist
Hillary Holmes - Music Executive
Matt Lilley - Music Clearance & Licensing - MCL Music Services
Anne-Marie Verdi - Music Clearance & Licensing - MCL Music Services
Cutting Edge - Additional Music Services
Ben Zales - Supervising Music Editor
Brendan Leong - Assistant Music Editor
Marco Beltrami - composer: unused score (uncredited)
Anna Drubich - composer: unused score (uncredited)
Jay Kriegsman - additional music: unused score (uncredited)
Soundtrack Album Released by: Lakeshore Records
The "Ballerina" (2025) movie soundtrack, including the original motion picture soundtrack and related playlists, can be found on various platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, IMDb, and YouTube. The soundtrack features music from various artists, including Joel J. Richard, Tyler Bates, and Le Castle Vania.
Featured Songs in the Film:
“Fever Dream” – Agnes Obel
“Black Milk” – Massive Attack
“L’Appuntamento” – Ornella Vanoni
“Experience” – Ludovico Einaudi
“The Sound of Silence” – Nouela (cover)
“No Choir” – Florence + The Machine
“You Want It Darker” – Leonard Cohen
The Four Seasons: Summer 3 (Robot Koch Remix)
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Max Richter
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon
under license from Universal Music EnterprisesGrand Allegro
Written and Performed by Søren Bebe
Courtesy of From Out Here Music
Minus Eleven
Written by Dylan Eiland
Performed by Le Castle Vania
Courtesy of Always Never Records
Ballerina Code
Written by Dylan Eiland
Performed by Le Castle Vania
Courtesy of Always Never Records
One Bullet Well Placed
Written by Dylan Eiland
Performed by Le Castle Vania
Courtesy of Always Never Records
Chokehold Cherry Python
Written by Ashnikko (as Ashton Nicole Casey), Oscar Scheller (as Oscar Benjamin Alexander Scheller) and Thomas Slinger
Performed by Ashnikko
Courtesy of Parlophone Records Limited
So What Now
Written by Cathy Bielawski
Performed by The Peter Blair Combo
Courtesy of Fervor Records
The Four Seasons: L'estate (Summer)
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Australian Chamber Orchestra
Courtesy of BIS
Swan Lake
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Russian National Orchestra
Courtesy of Ondine Records and Naxos
Fight Like A Girl
Written by Tyler Bates, Amy Lee, Dylan Eiland and K.Flay (as Kristine Flaherty)
Performed by Evanescence featuring K.Flay
Courtesy of BMG Rights Management
under exclusive license from Amy Lee Music, Inc.
Hand That Feeds
Written by Halsey (as Ashley Frangipane), Jordan Fish, Amy Lee, Michael Pollock and Griff Clawson
Performed by Halsey and Amy Lee
Courtesy of Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment
under exclusive license from Anti-Pop, LLC
Score Moments Highlighted in Marketing:
Several trailers and behind-the-scenes promos used cues from Einaudi and Obel, tying the film’s choreography to emotionally weighted compositions.
The ballroom fight sequence is set to Massive Attack’s “Black Milk”, blending ambient trip-hop with violence in a sequence drawing acclaim for its editing and sync precision.
Sync & Score Notes:
Music in Ballerina is woven into the narrative in the same operatic fashion as other entries in the Wick franchise.
A standout moment includes “The Sound of Silence” cover (Nouela) during a flashback montage—creating a viral TikTok trend within days of the film’s release.
Licensing-heavy soundtrack approach mirrors Atomic Blonde and Wick 4, with strategic placement of emotionally resonant songs replacing a traditional score-forward identity.