Remember when a Hell demon learned you can’t punish Homer Simpson with too many donuts? That’s how we feel about the John Wick franchise, and it’s a good thing, too. Lionsgate is going to stuff us full with more movies. Chapter 4 star Donnie Yen will direct his own Caine spinoff. The studio also announced a new anime prequel film will show how its most fearsome assassin escaped the High Table originally. And, somehow, neither of those are the biggest news about the franchise. That goes to John Wick himself. Keanu Reeves is officially returning for John Wick Chapter 5.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned after four John Wick movies it’s that you can’t kill Baba Yaga. The franchise’s fourth installment wanted us to believe you can, but that film’s box office made sure you can’t. Now we know for sure after Lionsgate announced at this year’s CinemaCon (in news we first heard at Variety), its titular star will be back for John Wick: Chapter 5. Director Chad Stahelski will also be back with Reeves for the fifth time.
Reeves return always seemed likely, especially since John Wick’s “death” was clearly ambiguous enough for them to reveal he’s still alive. But it’s still nice to have confirmation.
It’s also nice to know exactly what the rumored next spinoff will be. Donnie Yen will direct and star in a movie about John Wick’s friend-turned-foe-who-remained-his-friend, the blind assassin, Caine. The project will begin production in Hong Kong in 2026. Lionsgate describes it as “stylistically modeled on the uniquely designed action films that Yen helped make famous.” (Hell yeah.) But it will still very much take place under the High Table. Stahelski said this “modern day kung-fu classic” will also explore “the John Wick world.”
The studio also announced another series spinoff. We’re getting an animated prequel designed for “more mature audiences.” Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising) will direct with a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor. The animated movie will feature Reeves voicing John Wick during an infamous event that happened years before the first film. It will show Baba Yaga pulling off the “Impossible Task” that got him free of the High Table originally.
Do we want to see that? Yes, just like we want to see Ana de Armas Ballerina spinoff, Donnie Yen’s Caine standalone, and, of course, John Wick: Chapter 5. Lionsgate can keep stuffing as many of these movies as they want down our throats and, like Homer Simpsons, we’re just going to ask for more.
Content shared from nerdist.com.