Sarah Moore
Lionsgate surprised fans with a major announcement during a recent earnings conference, confirming that “John Wick: Chapter 5” is currently in the works alongside numerous spinoff projects already in development. We’ll keep spoilers for “John Wick: Chapter 4” to a minimum in this article, but obviously, this news may come as a surprise to those who believed the fourth film would be the franchise’s final installment.
During the conference, where several Lionsgate executives were present, an attendee asked about the status of “John Wick 5” and whether it was official. In response, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Pictures, Joseph Drake, stated, “What’s official is that, as you know, ‘Ballerina’ is the first spinoff which is in production right now, and we’re developing ‘The Continental,’ which is the TV show, and there are other three projects in development. So, we have ‘John Wick 5’ and then ‘The Continental’ coming up, so it’s very much a part of the organic expansion of this world.”
While the response was aimed at reassuring investors about the continued success of the franchise despite John Wick’s supposed demise at the end of “Chapter 4,” it dropped a ton of bombs. Initially, “John Wick: Chapter 5” was in the works when the last films starring Keanu Reeves were announced, in collaboration with two partners. However, creative decisions and the pandemic led to the consolidation of the films into one, leaving the status of the fifth film somewhat mysterious. Nevertheless, both Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have hinted at the desire for a fifth film. With the resounding success of “Chapter 4,” it was clear that more was in store for the John Wick universe, but a direct sequel seemed unlikely until now.
Lionsgate also has other plans in the works. Referring to Drake’s earlier statement, it appears that in addition to the “Ballerina” film and “The Continental” TV series, there is another unnamed project among the “other three” in development. Although it’s unclear which film or series is being referred to, Lionsgate has expressed a desire to bring the franchise to the gaming world in a big way. Perhaps they will utilize Reeves for a prequel, finally allowing us to witness the infamous pencil-wielding assassin firsthand.
