During a recent Lionsgate board meeting, Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake confirmed that the fifth instalment of the Keanu Reeves-starring John Wick is already in the early stages of development. Following the success of John Wick: Chapter 4, which arrived in March, the production giant has made significant progress on its follow-up.
The next movie in the franchise will see Chad Stahelski return as director alongside Reeves in the titular role. The fourth movie arrived earlier this year to bring in $73.8million in the US and an impressive overseas debut of $141.1m.
Drake reaffirmed in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter that the fifth film had been confirmed. “There’s a will, and there’s an openness,” he said. “And you could certainly interpret that ending in different ways. We’re all going to take a tiny rest here and then scratch at ideas about whether there’s a credible way to get into five. But there’s no guarantee.”
“Keanu and Chad, rightly so, are very protective about never screwing with the audience,” he added. “So we certainly have our work cut out for us…Keanu is so beloved, and that character is so beloved; that’s not lost on him.”
“We’re now moving across that franchise, not just in the AAA video game space, but looking at what the regular cadence of spinoffs, television really growing that universe so that there is a steady cadence of a franchise that there’s clear appetite by the audience,” Drake continued on the prospect of various spinoffs.
“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 [John Wick 5] and including television series, The Continental, will be airing soon. And so, we’re building out the world and when that five movie comes, 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.”
Watch the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below.
