Since the theatrical release of Francis Lawrence's Constantine in 2005, lead star Keanu Reeves had consistently asked Warner Bros. Pictures to green-light the sequel to the supernatural action film.
Speaking with Total Film Magazine, Reeves expressed how much he loved and enjoyed playing John Constantine in the DC character's first live-action film adaptation. "I don't know if it was unfinished business but it was definitely a role that I loved," he said. "And I thought that Francis Lawrence, the director, did such amazing work. I loved playing that character, and I really enjoyed the film." It was because of his desire to play Constantine again that the John Wick star began begging Warner Bros. for Constantine 2 on a near-annual basis. "I was like, [adopts Oliver Twist voice] 'Can I please have some more? ... I kept asking almost every year. I'd be like, 'Can I please?' [and] they'd be like, 'No, no!'"
However, Reeves' efforts weren't wasted, as Constantine 2 finally did enter development in September 2022. Reeves went on to share his excitement and hopes for the project. "So it's exciting. It's almost like an open playground that we can hopefully cook something up and play in, and I guess get out of the playground and prepare a meal," he said. "But I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully it can happen. You don't know how these things go. But I'm definitely going to try my darndest to try and realize that dream."
Constantine 2 will once again be directed by Lawrence from a screenplay written by Akiva Goldsman, who is no stranger to the DC after previously co-writing 1995's Batman Forever and writing 1997's Batman & Robin. The project will also be produced by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, who was originally developing a Constantine series for HBO Max. Bad Robot Productions' TV adaptation was ultimately scrapped following the official announcement of Reeves' Constantine sequel.
John Constantine Through The Years
John Constantine was originally created for DC by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch and John Totleben in 1985. He is a British occult detective and skilled sorcerer who's known for his wit and pessimism. Reeves' 2005 film served as the fan-favorite character’s live-action debut. Although the movie was met with mixed reviews about its decision to veer away from the original source material, it eventually became a cult classic due to its visuals and Reeves' involvement.
In 2014, John Constantine made his small-screen debut on the NBC drama also titled Constantine, with Matt Ryan signing on as the titular character. Despite only lasting 13 episodes, Ryan's Constantine portrayal was well-received by DC fans. He portrayed the character again in The CW's Arrowverse shows, including Arrow and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. In 2022, Doctor Who vet Jenna Coleman was tapped to play a female version of the character named Johanna Constantine in Netflix's hit fantasy series adaptation of The Sandman. Coleman is expected to reprise the role in Season 2.
Source: Total Film, via /Film