It’s not an April Fool’s joke: John Wick 5 is finally, officially in the works.
The John Wick saga is one of the most surprising successes of the decade, but its longevity wasn’t always a sure thing. Across four stylized, ultraviolent films, director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves rewrote the blueprint for action spectacle. Reeves’ star power was established anew, while Stahelski became one of the most in-demand genre filmmakers in Hollywood. After John Wick: Chapter 4, the dynamic duo seemed ready to go their separate ways. Reeves’ eponymous hero seemed to finally bite the dust, leaving the franchise in total flux. Fans have spent the past two years wondering if Wick would ever return — and after a whole lot of beating around the bush, Reeves is finally back as the Baba Yaga.
Lionsgate made the announcement at CinemaCon, unveiling a new wave of Wick-related projects. Donnie Yen is attached to direct and star in a spinoff involving his John Wick 4 character, Caine, and the studio has also greenlit an animated prequel to John Wick. Additionally, Lionsgate’s TV branch is developing Under the High Table, a new spinoff series that will further expand the world of the films.
As for the fifth installment of the Wick saga, Stahelski is officially returning to direct and produce. How Reeves’ Wick will find his way back to the land of the living after Chapter 4 remains to be seen, but given his past reluctance to return, Chapter 5 must have been impossible to resist.
John Wick 4 was a “peak” for Chad Stahelski. How will he top that in his follow-up?
Lionsgate’s announcement probably comes as a major surprise, especially for those who’ve been following the saga to get John Wick 5 made. Just last year, Stahelski seemed ready to walk away from Wick films entirely, telling The Hollywood Reporter that John Wick 4 gave him the “closure” he needed.
“There’s no topping what we did,” the director said. “As far as [John Wick: Chapter 4], we’ve peaked. At least, I have.”
At the time, Lionsgate was still working to crack a story for a fifth Wick film. Stahelski wasn’t totally averse to another chapter in the saga, but he did say that “it’d have to be a completely different storyline” compared to John Wick 4. His comments aligned with producer Basil Iwanyk’s, who suggested that John Wick 5 could open a whole new “book” for the character.
“If these movies were four chapters, you kind of blame it on the metaphor,” the producer told ScreenRant. “If there is another John Wick movie, which I do believe there will be... I do feel like it will be a completely other book.”
Whatever form it takes, John Wick 5 is sure to be a radical departure for the franchise. For both Stahelski and Reeves to return to the saga, this story will likely be bigger, bloodier, and more ambitious than anything we’ve seen before. There’s no telling when we’ll get to see their new vision made manifest, but the fact that we’re getting another Wick film at all is cause for celebration. The wait has only just begun, but at least the fandom’s most pressing question has finally been answered.
