It turns out John Wick: Chapter 4 had its title changed to avoid a major spoiler.
Franchise director Chad Stahelski spoke to Cinema Blend about the original plan to give the fourth installment of Keanu Reeves' action series the working title John Wick: Chapter 4 – Hagakure. Ultimately, the team decided to leave Wick's final fate a surprise for audiences and Stahelski removed the subtitle completely. "The original working title of the movie was Hagakure. It's this Japanese treatise," Stahelski said.
He continued, "It's a book from the 16th century that was about the code of ethics of Samurai and how to prepare for dying; the way of dying kind of thing. And that's where the whole thing started. If we don't conclude John or John Wick's – depending on obviously it's a myth with dichotomies and all that stuff – but if you don't end the journey, then why do the show?"
What's Next for the John Wick Franchise?
From the very beginning, John Wick's journey has been a life entangled with the world of the High Table. From avenging his dead dog in 2014's John Wick to being on the run for breaking The Continental's rules in 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, it seemed as if the world-weary hitman would never find peace. In putting together Chapter 4, Lionsgate approached Stahelski about filming the fourth and fifth John Wick installments back-to-back. But the director and Reeves felt Chapter 4 was the right time to end the John Wick franchise -- at least until a new idea comes along.
"In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment. We're going to give John Wick a rest," Stahelski said. "I'm sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we'll take a quiet minute."
Lionsgate plans on continuing to build the John Wick universe with the upcoming spinoff movie Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, with Reeves reprising his role in a cameo set between the events of Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Additionally, a television prequel series, The Continental, will feature the young version of Ian McShane's Winston in his early days running the mysterious hotel. Despite Chapter 4's conclusion, Lionsgate president Joe Drake is not ready to leave the super-assassin himself behind. "We're not ready to say goodbye to Keanu with this franchise," Drake said. "It's what alternative there will be... there's a lot of different things that we can do [to incorporate Reeves into additional John Wick installments]."
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now playing in theaters.
Source: Cinema Blend