Keanu Reeves is officially returning as John Wick, but not for a fifth movie (at least not yet) and not even in live-action. Over the past twelve years, the Reeves-led John Wick series has not only redefined the action genre in Hollywood, but also given the beloved actor yet another claim to fame and a franchise to call his own (every entry without him hasn’t been that well received). 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4 seemed to indicate that Reeves’ time with the role was done after he died on screen, but we’re thinking he’s back.
Lionsgate has officially confirmed today that the previously announced animated John Wick prequel movie has been greenlit at the studio; on top of that, Reeves will officially return to the series and voice the titular assassin. Shannon Tindle will direct the new John Wick movie, which will tell the story of the big task that Reeves’ character took on in order to secure his release from The High Table and go on to live a normal life with his wife, Helen. As fans know, that didn’t last long, but this remains a story that has yet to be told in the franchise.
Confirmation that a new John Wick movie is happening but will be an animated story rather than a live-action one may immediately raise eyebrows for some fans. On one hand, the practical nature of the film and the stunts that are captured on set and in-camera have become one of the hallmarks of the entire series. The well-choreographed action in the series is one of its defining traits, on top of Reeves’ own stoic performance and the larger mythology that has been created along the way. That said, Reeves himself is not getting any younger, and has opened up about how reluctance to make a fifth film is partially story-related and also age-related.
Concern that an animated John Wick movie might not be able to match the live-action side of things in terms of action already has an answer, though, in director Shannon Tindle. Animation fans will know their name well, Tindle directed the Netflix animated film Ultraman Rising, a film that has fluid and well-executed action in and of itself. On top of that, Tindle previously worked on other animation hits with major action beats, like the Laika movie Kubo and the Two Strings. On top of that, he worked in character design on other major titles like Samurai Jack, Static Shock, and more. In short, the animated action could clearly match the live-action in some ways, and if anything, the new movie will absolutely have some killer character designs.
The new John Wick prequel movie isn’t the only expansion of the series that’s on the horizon, though. Production has already wrapped on a spinoff film about Donnie Yen’s Caine, which he also directed and which will bring back Rina Sawayama from John Wick: Chapter 4. Furthermore, a TV series titled John Wick: Under the High Table is still in the works, and, of course, John Wick: Chapter 5 is still something the studio would like to see.
