With the John Wick: Chapter 4 having come and gone earlier this year, there is one thing fans of the franchise want to know: Will we get another sequel—a John Wick 5?
John Wick: Chapter 4 spoilers ahead!
If anyone tells me that this franchise died with John Wick himself, I’m not going to be a very happy camper.
I’m gonna be the kind of camper that was rained on, slipped in the mud on the trail, broke both legs, was mauled by a bear, AND spilled their trail mix. In short, I will be a very UNHAPPY camper. Not QUITE as unhappy as I was when ol’ Johnny closed his eyes for good at the end of the fourth movie, but still pretty pissed.
After manhandling the bear that tried to do me in and crawling 30 miles back to civilization, I’m gonna get Hollywood on the phone and threaten to persecute their executives with extreme vengeance unless a new John Wick movie is announced. And pronto. But will they listen? If they listened to the demands of the striking writers who promised them financial ruin, they’ll listen to me when I promise them physical ruin.
As it turns out … they DID listen
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the CEO of Lionsgate Joe Drake has confirmed that John Wick 5 is in early stages of production.
“What is official is that, as you know, Ballerina is the first spinoff that comes out next year. We’re in development on three others, including five and including the television series, The Continental, which will be airing soon,” he told THR. “We’re building out the world and when that 5 movie comes, it will be organic — will be organically grown out of how we’re starting to tell those stories. But you can rely on a regular cadence of John Wick.”
You hear that? A “regular cadence of John Wick.” He said that exact phrase for my benefit. I promised him a “regular cadence of John Wick-level beatings” for every day John Wick 5 was not officially greenlit. I didn’t even have to bruise my knuckles once.
When will John Wick 5 be released?
It could be a little while. Probably a few years. Unlike these squishy Hollywood executive types, I can’t threaten the John Wick team to work faster. After all, they would kick my ass. According to an interview with director Chad Stahelski on The Hollywood Reporter’s Behind the Screen podcast series, the team needs a bit of of break to get those creative juices flowing.
“I think we all need that little bit of time to go, ‘Whew. Let’s see what’s next.'” said Stahelski. “If Keanu and I, a few months from now, sit down at a whiskey bar in Japan again and go, ‘Yep, we’ll never do another one of those,’ and then all of a sudden go, ‘Yeah, but I got an idea,’ we’re open to it.” Stahelski is excited by the proposition of making a fifth film, saying, “It’s very flattering for them to come back and, you know, say, ‘We want more,’ and it’s not just a cash grab. It’s legitimately, the audience wants more”. Yes, we do. Specifically, I do. And I’m willing to do anything—even affronts to God and man—in order to get more.
What can I do to bide my time until John Wick 5?
Until the movie gets here, I’ve got nothing to do but load my guns, sharpen my knives, dig up my gold bars, and get a tailor to start working on my bulletproof suit—that and watch the aforementioned John Wick spinoff film Ballerina, starring Ana De Armas. I won’t even have to wait that long to see the Baba Yaga himself. Keanu Reeves is slated to return as John Wick for a knock down, drag out fight scene between himself and Ana De Armas’ character, Rooney.
In fact, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and Angelica Huston will also appear in their John Wick roles. They will be joined by fellow ass-kicker Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead series and Gabriel Byrne from Hereditary.
Meanwhile, the TV series The Continental provides an origin story of how Ian McShane’s character Winston became the manager of the titular hotel for assassins in the first place. Set during the 1970s, the series regrettably stars Mel Gibson as The Continental’s previous owner, and Colin Woodell as a young Winston. A younger version of The Continental’s star concierge Charon also appears, played by Ayomide Adegun.
(featured image: Lionsgate)
