John Wick 5 Is Officially Happening
Lionsgate announced John Wick Chapter 5.
John Wick 5 is officially in the works, and director Chad Stahelski says that the fifth installment is not just a cash grab but an authentic response to audiences who are demanding more from the dog-loving assassin story starring Keanu Reeves. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate’s motion picture group chair, Joe Drake, sent shockwaves through the assassin-loving community during a recent earnings call, teasing the development of a fifth movie in the adrenaline-pumping series that has us all on the edge of our seats.
Drake, master of the tantalizing tease, dropped hints that not only are they working on a fifth film but also three other projects to expand the John Wick universe. The first spinoff, Ballerina, is set to hit theaters next year, giving us a taste of the assassin world from a new perspective. Additionally, a television series called The Continental is also in the works and will be gracing our screens before we know it.
The release of John Wick: Chapter 4 in March reverberated through the box office, with Reeves donning his black suit once again and raking in a whopping $363 million worldwide. Naturally, the success begged the question: Will there be more? And luckily, fans didn’t have to wait too long to hear the answer as Stahelski has responded to the hints Drake dropped by confirming another film is indeed on the way.
Stahelski himself expressed a need for a moment of reflection after the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, a moment to catch his breath and let the creative juices flow. But fear not, fellow Wick enthusiasts, because he and Reeves have left the door wide open for the possibility of another film.
For those who have followed the saga closely, John Wick: Chapter 4 left us with more questions than answers. The film concluded with Winston (played by the legendary Ian McShane) and the enigmatic Bowery King (the iconic Laurence Fishburne) standing before a grave bearing Wick’s name. What does it all mean? Are we to believe the legendary assassin met his demise? Or is there more to the story waiting to be unveiled?
However, with the recent news from Drake and Stahelski and the promise of a fifth John Wick, in addition to the spinoffs, it seems the answer to these questions will soon be revealed. The world of assassins is expanding, and the fifth film promises to be another heart-stopping, bone-crunching, and bullet-riddled ride.
In the meantime, the first John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, is set to hit the silver screen on June 7, 2024. Not much is known about the plot of this spin-off other than it’s about a female assassin who seeks revenge against the murderers who annihilated her family. The film will be set between the events of John Wick 3 and John Wick 4 and will star Ana de Armas, with Reeves returning to his iconic role.
Meanwhile, The Continental, which is short for The Continental: From the World of John Wick, is the first television spin-off developed for the franchise. The series delves into the captivating backstory of Winston Scott, transporting us to the 1970s, where we witness his remarkable journey to becoming the esteemed proprietor of The Continental hotel chain in New York City, a sanctuary for lawful assassins where no nefarious dealings are allowed. The series takes us on an enthralling exploration of an altered reality, intertwining it with captivating twists on real-world events such as the Winter of Discontent and the ascension of the American Mafia’s economic dominance.
