Since the release of John Wick in 2014, the franchise has gone from strength to strength. A fourth instalment, along with a spinoff movie, is currently in the works at Lionsgate, but how much of a future does the franchise have beyond that? Surprisingly, filmmaker Chad Stahelski was surprisingly open about his plans during a recent interview with Collider.
While John Wick 5 was greenlit way back in August 2020, we've heard very little since (likely thanks to the pandemic). For Stahelski, the ball is in the studio's court, but it sounds like they're in it for the long haul with this series of action movies.
"[As of right] now it is the studio's [full] intention to continue the franchise," he confirms. "And look, I'm not going to we've all seen directors and producers where they go, 'Yes. I don't know. I guess I'll do five,' or it's like, 'Oh, yeah, yeah.' And I'm just, 'Look, man. 'John Wick 1' was a goof. We made it as a fun little action movie that we'd like to see.'"
"And the fact that now nine years later, it's changed our lives. It changed my life. It changed Keanu's life. It's changed a lot of other people's lives. And people still want to see more."
As for when a fifth John Wick movie could start taking shape, Stahelski added, "I have no doubt that we'll start jonesing about a year from now going, 'Yeah, it’s time to make a 'Wick.'' And it's every time we do, literally, every Wick has been written or at least conceptualized in Japan at the Imperial Hotel with me and Keanu on our press tour."
"If I spend the rest of my career working with Keanu that would be a blessed career."
The John Wick franchise has played a huge role in Keanu Reeves' career resurgence, though it will be down to the actor to decide how much longer he wants to continue playing this character. He's showing no signs of slowing down, so at the very least, we're sure that fifth movie will become a reality.
John Wick 4 is currently set to arrive in theaters on March 24, 2023