‘John Wick’ Creator’s New Action Series ‘Lazarus’ Is a Streaming Hit on Max

What would John Wick look like if it were animated? Would the style of fight choreography and action design hold up in the animated form? While the answer to the first question will be answered in the upcoming John Wick anime, Chad Stahelski’s (who created and directed all four John Wick movies) work on a new animated action series proves that his now iconic style of action is perfect for animation. It’s not just one writer who believes this, though, as HBO Max subscribers also agree. Stahelski lent his talent to Shinichiro Watanabe’s newest anime, Lazarus, which blends soft sci-fi with hardcore action, and Max users can’t get enough of the show on streaming as it nears its finale.

At the time of writing, Lazarus is the 10th most popular series on Max this week. 11 episodes of the hit sci-fi series have been released so far, with the penultimate episode releasing this weekend (June 21). Lazarus will run for a total of 13 episodes, meaning the adrenaline-fuelled adventure is nearly over. Lazarus is animated by Studio MAPPA, which is behind some of the biggest modern anime, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise, and the latest seasons of Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga. The series was created by the legendary anime director Shinichiro Watanabe. Audiences will know Watanabe best for creating hits like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy. The series is set in the near future, where a ragtag group of criminals must find a mysterious and deluded scientist who threatens to wipe out all of humanity.

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So, how does Chad Stahelski fit into Lazarus? The series is Stahelski’s gateway into working on more anime, including the upcoming John Wick prequel. Having spent decades working as a stunt performer and supervisor before becoming a director, Chad Stahelski designed the fight scenes and choreography for Lazarus. This involved shooting and blocking the fights in real life using stunt performers for the animators at MAPPA to use as reference points for the show.

What Is ‘John Wick’s Anime About?

Keanu Reeves in John Wick Chapter 4 — Lionsgate

As previously mentioned, John Wick is (finally) getting an anime. The franchise is already heavily inspired by the medium, especially through its neon color palette. But the new prequel will be a full-blown anime. While full plot details haven’t been released yet, we do know that the project will be set before the first movie. John Wick revealed that Keanu Reeves’ titular hitman was able to leave his life of crime behind by completing a task that was deemed impossible. The anime will finally reveal what that task will be.

As the anime is still in early development, no production details have been revealed yet. Fans are anxious to know which studio will animate the prequel. Given Stahelski’s work on Lazarus, most are expecting MAPPA to take on the task. But, MAPPA is one of the busiest studios around, so there may not be room within its already packed schedule for such a project.