After four movies and killing nearly 1000 people, Keanu Reeves’ time as the iconic assassin came to an end in 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4… or did it? Following the film’s release and dominating box office success, franchise director Chad Stahelski said that he and Keanu Reeves were having discussions about John Wick 5, despite Chapter 4 bringing the character’s arc to a very definitive close. With the upcoming release of Ballerina, the first feature film spin-off, Stahelski has updated fans about the future of the John Wick franchise, and things are looking positive.
Chad Stahelski spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his work on the John Wick franchise, Ballerina, the Wick Is Pain documentary, and the possibility of John Wick 5. “I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a bit of a conundrum,” Stahelski said of (spoiler alert!) killing John Wick at the end of Chapter 4. The last time the director spoke of John Wick 5, its status was still very unknown. However, Stahelski, Reeves, and screenwriter Mike Finch have apparently begun to crack the case, and progress on the film’s script is moving ahead swiftly. Stahelski said:
“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. 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?”
While Stahelski didn’t reveal any major details about John Wick 5, he did confirm that, like the title’s numerical sequence, the fifth film will keep the plot moving forward and won’t jump back to the past as a prequel. “Keanu and I are not interested in going backwards,” Stahelski said.
A ‘John Wick’ prequel Anime Is In the Works
The live-action John Wick movies might only be interested in the future, but the franchise has already dived into the past, through The Continental prequel series, and will continue to do so in an upcoming project. As well as John Wick 5, and the upcoming Caine spin-off, starring Donnie Yen, a John Wick anime is also in the works.
Fans have yet to see any visual teasers for the new anime, but it is already confirmed to be a prequel. The anime will be set before the events of the first John Wick. In the movie, it was revealed that Mr. Wick completed an impossible task, which granted him his freedom from the world of underground assassins. The anime will depict that impossible task. Stahelski is now no stranger to anime, having worked on the ongoing sci-fi action series, Lazarus, and fans are excited to see the same level of action design brought to a John Wick anime. The anime hasn’t been given a release date.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is now screening in theaters.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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