While the cast and crew have played coy about John Wick's future, a fifth movie is confirmed to be in the making.
Per ComicBook, during Lionsgate's Q4 2023 earnings call, Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake revealed a follow-up to John Wick 4 is happening. "What is official is that... Ballerina is the first spinoff that comes out next year," said Drake. "We're in development on three others, including [John Wick 5] and including television series, The Continental, will be airing soon. And so, we're building out the world and when that fifth movie comes, will be organic -- will be organically grown out of how we're starting to tell those stories." Drake concluded by stating that John Wick will have a "regular cadence" in the future.
This news comes after both star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have dodged questions about returning for another installment with the latter even claiming he refused an offer from Lionsgate to film John Wick 5 right after the fourth entry in the franchise. "I think the greatest part is that, after each John Wick, I took two years off to go live and get better; to travel, to read more, and to get better," Stahelski explained. "I don't know how to do a movie back-to-back and get better for the second one."
The Risk of John Wick 5
The filmmaker also recently responded to fans clamoring for a fifth installment despite John Wick's story seemingly concluding in the fourth movie. "When you have something successful, yeah, of course, you want to keep doing it. But it's very easy to be repetitive. The trick is how you be repetitive with individuality," Stahelski said. Producer Basil Iwanykhas echoed these sentiments, stating that Reeves would only return to the franchise if he was able to figure out "something cool" with Stahelski. "These movies are really hard for Keanu and Chad, and everybody. By the time each one is over, most involved have said, never again, this is too hard and we’re not getting any younger."
The John Wick franchise has grown from humble beginnings, having first premiered in 2014 with a slight buzz around Reeves' return to an action franchise. In the years since, the series has grown exponentially as it earned positive reviews from critics and audiences, going on to earn a collective $1 billion at the box office. Lionsgate has also promised to expand the world of John Wick with spinoff projects including the series The Continental and the Ana de Armas-led movie Ballerina.
John Wick 4 is now available to rent and purchase on digital platforms while the physical release arrives on June 13.
Source: ComicBook