John Wick 5 in the works: Keanu Reeves returns as franchise expands with animated prequel and Caine spinoff | Hollywood News

John Wick 5 has officially begun production, with fan-favourite Keanu Reeves set to reprise his iconic hitman role. The news was announced Lionsgate at CinemaCon. The franchise is also expanding with its first-ever animated prequel and a spin-off movie centered on Caine, the blind assassin played Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4, is reportedly in the works. “Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world,” Fogelson said in a statement, according to Variety. “We can’t wait for audiences to see where the journey takes us next.”
Also read: John Wick 5 to be shot back-to-back with fourth part
The prequel will explore John Wick’s past, his infamous “Impossible Task.” Fans have heard about this legendary feat in previous films, but the full story has never been shown on screen. The movie will explore how Wick defeated all his enemies in a single night to break free from the High Table. Shannon Tindle is directing the project, while Vanessa Taylor is penning the script. Reeves is also expected to voice his iconic character. This animated film will explore the events before the first John Wick movie, which came out in 2014.
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For John Wick 5, Reeves will reunite with director Chad Stahelski and producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. The John Wick movies have only grown bigger over time. The first film in 2014 made $86.1 million worldwide, and the time John Wick: Chapter 4 released in 2023, it had become the highest-grossing film in the series, earning $440 million.
Also read: John Wick director Chad Stahelski to produce Hollywood remake of Kill, says he’s looking forward to collaborating with Karan Johar, Guneet Monga
Before John Wick 5 hits the big screen, fans will first see Keanu Reeves in Ballerina. The actioner stars Ana de Armas in the lead role. She plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin. At CinemaCon, the Hollywood star showed an extended clip of her intense action scenes, and fans are convinced, she’s ready to take on the John Wick world.  She revealed that training for this role was the toughest challenge she’s ever faced, even harder than her stunts in No Time to Die.
“For ‘Bond,’ I only had three weeks of training. ‘Ballerina’ was a whole other level,” The Knives Out star said at Caesar’s Palace. “This is far the most physical and challenging thing I’ve ever done.” One of the most exciting announcements is that Donnie Yen will return as Caine. The skilled and deadly blind assassin will not only star in the film, but he’ll also direct and executive produce it. Production will begin in Hong Kong later this year.Story continues below this ad
At the end of John Wick 4, it looked like Wick might have met his tragic end after a deadly fight with Marquis de Gramont (played Bill Skarsgård). Even the final sequence of the fourth installment showed Winston (Ian McShane) and Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) standing at a gravestone with Wick’s name engraved on it. But one small detail left fans questioning if he was really dead—Wick’s loyal dog glanced back at the grave, hinting that maybe his master was still alive. Director Chad Stahelski later revealed that they had actually filmed a different ending where Wick was shown to be alive. However, when they tested both versions, audiences preferred the mysterious, open-ended version.