IT actor Bill Skarsgård is being targeted for John Wick: Chapter 4.
Skarsgård, who's best known for playing the child-eating Pennywise in the IT movies, is in talks to star opposite Keanu Reeves in the film, reported Collider. It's speculated, though not confirmed, the actor could be up to play the movie's villain, given his history of portraying literal monsters on the big screen.
Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch (who was credited as a producer only), the first John Wick opened in 2014 and was a surprise success, earning strong reviews and over four times its $20 million budget. The film introduced Reeves as its namesake, a former assassin who seeks revenge against the men who broke into his house and killed his dog -- the final gift from his late wife.
Thanks to its success, John Wick was followed by a pair of sequels that continued to explore its underworld of killers-for-hire. Both of those movies were also critical and commercial hits, with 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 and 2019's Chapter 3 -- Parabellum grossing $171.5 million and $326.7 million, respectively.
The franchise will continue to grow with John Wick: Chapter 4 and the already-announced Chapter 5, in addition to The Continental, a limited series centered on a younger version of Ian McShane's character Winston. Lionsgate is also developing Ballerina, a spinoff about a young woman-turned assassin seeking revenge against the people responsible for killing her family.
Stahelski will call the shots on John Wick: Chapter 4 from a script by Chapter 3 -- Parabellum writer Shay Hatten and Michael Finch (Predators). Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Ip Man's Donnie Yen is costarring as one of John Wick's friends, with Japanese-British pop superstar Rina Sawayama and Shamier Anderson (Stowaway) playing as-yet undisclosed roles.
While John Wick: Chapter 4 would mark Skarsgård's first time working with Stahelski, he played a supporting role in 2017's Atomic Blonde and the short-lived Zeitgeist in 2018's Deadpool 2, both of which were directed by Leitch. Skarsgård also starred in the Netflix horror series Hemlock Grove and appeared opposite John Boyega in the legal dramedy Naked Singularity, which is currently touring the film festival circuit.
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4 stars Keanu Reeves, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama and Donnie Yen. The film arrives in theaters May 27, 2022.
Source: Collider