The news broke at the latest edition of CinemaCon: while the end of the fourth instalment and Keanu Reeves’ comments in the press had left fans doubtful, it is now official – the Hollywood star will reprise his fan-favourite role in a fifth “John Wick” movie.
The plot has not yet been revealed, but director Chad Stahelski and original producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee have already been confirmed.
The franchise has already expanded beyond the original story with the spinoff “Ballerina”, starring Ana de Armas as a hitwoman in the midst of learning her trade. The movie, in US cinemas on June 6, will be an opportunity to see Reeves, Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston reprise their roles, as well as Lance Riddick, who passed away in March 2023.
Norman Reedus from “The Walking Dead” also joins the vengeful world of “John Wick”, which had already expanded in 2023 with the miniseries “The Continental: From the World of John Wick” on Prime Video. The latter expounds on the younger years of the character Winston, played by McShane, before he meets the hitman.
The world of “John Wick” will also extend to animation, with a project serving as a prequel to the movie franchise. The plot will explore the events preceding the films, in particular the famous “Impossible Task” that allowed Wick to leave his life as an assassin for love, killing all his rivals in one night. Reeves will lend his voice to the hero.
The franchise, which began in 2014 with a bloody act of revenge for a murdered dog, has established itself as a pillar of action cinema. After four films, it has grossed over US$1 billion at the global box office.
Prequels are definitely in vogue: after John Wick, it is the character of Haymitch (played by Woody Harrelson) in the “Hunger Games” franchise who is getting his own film.
Based on the novel “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping”, released last month, the prequel will revisit the story of Katniss Everdeen’s mentor and winner of the 50th games. Filming is due to start later this year, according to information revealed at CinemaCon, with a big-screen release slated for November 2026.
Here, too, after the success of the trilogy, the “Hunger Games” franchise had already branched out with a prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, in 2023. Starring Rachel Zegler, the film explores the youth of Coriolanus Snow, future dictator of the state of Panem. To date, the franchise has grossed over US$3 billion worldwide.
Barely has the final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” dropped, and there’s already word of what’s coming next. Entitled “The Testaments”, after Margaret Atwood’s novel published in 2019, this spin-off is set 15 years after the events of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and will follow the fate of a new generation of handmaids.
Despite being forced to attend school in Gilead, these young women will question the established order and instigate a revolt of their own. Although filming began in early April, fans will have to be patient, as this latest project is not expected to be released until 2026.