The Keanu Reeves action franchise continues to expand with a fourth sequel as well as a spinoff film and new series.
Ever since the 2014 release of John Wick, the action-packed film starring Keanu Reeves as the titular hitman brought out of retirement has grown into a full-blown franchise, with multiple sequels, a new spinoff film starring Ana de Armas and a prequel series set in the 1970s.
In the years that followed, Reeves reprised his role in John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which not only welcomed the likes of Anjelica Huston and Halle Berry to the franchise but the latter sequel ended with a severely injured Wick joining forces with The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) with the two determined to bring down The High Table crime ring once and for all.
"I've always been someone who responds to those kinds of stories," Reeves has previously told ET about what attracts him to playing a character like Wick -- a determined but troubled man with aspirations toward a normal life that gets ruined by nebulous machinations. "He just keeps trying, right? I think that's what it is… He just keeps trying. He won't give up."
With so many installments in the franchise created by Derek Kolstad set to be released in the coming years, ET is taking a closer look at what's to come for John Wick: Chapters 4 and 5, the ever-expanding star-studded cast of Ballerina and The Continental on Peacock.
John Wick: Chapter 4
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Written by: Shay Hatten and Michael Finch
Cast: Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Donnie Yen as Caine, Bill Skarsgård asThe Marquis de Gramont, Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King, Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu, Shamier Anderson as The Tracker, Lance Reddick as Charon, Rina Sawayama as Akira, Scott Adkins as Killa and Ian McShane as Winston Scott
Official Synopsis: John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
According to Reeves, who has been busy promoting the newest sequel over the past year, "there's new characters, more world-building, the High Table is a little angry, John Wick is a little angry, he's trying to survive."
While speaking to ET at CinemaCon 2022, the actor also praised Stahelski, who co-directed the first John Wick film and has gone solo while helming the second and third chapters. "This mad genius has created some really wonderful, extraordinary sequences," he teased.
During the same presentation, Stahekski warned that fans shouldn't expect a happy ending from the upcoming sequel. "I think John Wick always suffers. That's why we like him so much. So I don't know how you would even describe a happy ending for John Wick?" the director offered.
Release Date: March 24, 2023 in theaters
John Wick: Chapter 5
No official details have been announced.
While Chapters 4 and 5 were supposed to be filmed back to back, Lionsgate decided to just move forward with the one sequel first. Since then, Stahelski has said that Chapter 4 will offer "closure" to the main storyline. What that means for a fifth installment remains to be seen.
"I think Chapter 4 is a good continuation of all three previous films, and it's got a bit of a conclusion to it, which is great," he told Collider, before later adding, "There's a good conclusion to an emotional thread that we've already had."
Ballerina
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Written by: Shay Hatten
Cast: Ana de Armas as Rooney, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Lance Reddick as Charon and Anjelica Huston as The Director. Additionally, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Byrne and Norman Reedus have been added in undisclosed roles.
Official Synopsis: Taking place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, a ballerina-turned-assassin named Rooney hunts the assassins who previously killed her family. (Rooney was previously played by Unity Phelan in Chapter 3 before de Armas was hired to take over the role for the spinoff.)
According to producer Erica Lee, "The idea of Ballerina was formed around the scenes with Anjelica in John Wick 3." Lee also added that "Charon is an indispensable part of the world of Wick" while producer Basil Iwanyk said they are "thrilled to have Ian McShane joining [them] for a pivotal role in Ballerina. He’s been such an integral part of the franchise since the original John Wick. It’s been fun to have him on this journey as the Wick universe expands."
When it came to filling Moreno's role, "one of the challenges of casting Ballerina is making sure that the new roles are played by actors with as much power, emotional presence, and physical skill as Ana has," Lee said, recalling how after "working with Catalina on John Woo’s Silent Night, it was clear that she belonged at the top of our list."
Release Date: TBA in Theaters
The Continental
Directed by: Albert Hughes and Charlotte Brandstrom
Written by: Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward
Cast: Colin Woodell as a young Winston Scott, Ayomide Adegun as a young Charon, Peter Greene as Uncle Charlie, Mel Gibson as Cormac, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Jessica Allain as Lou, Mishel Prada as KD and Nhung Kate as Yen.
Official Synopsis: Told from the perspective of the hotel manager, a young Winston Scott is dragged through 1975 New York to face a past he thought he’d left behind. In an attempt to seize control of the iconic hotel, which serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals, Winston charts a deadly course through the mysterious underworld of New York City.
Release Date: 2023 on Peacock
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