The future of the John Wick franchise looks uncertain after its director said he and star Keanu Reeves are ‘done for the moment.’
Ahead of the release of the hotly-anticipated next instalment in the saga – John Wick: Chapter 4 on March 24, filmmaker Chad Stahelski, 54, revealed he and Reeves, 58, wanted to rest the franchise after releasing four films in nine years.
Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment. We’re going to give John Wick a rest. I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute.
He added that when the press tour ends in Japan, he and Reeves will contemplate the future of the franchise
He said: ‘Keanu and I will take the long trip to Tokyo, we’ll sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar and go, ‘What do you think?’ We’ll have a couple 20-year-old whiskies and write some ideas on napkins. If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie.
Final: The future of the John Wick franchise looks uncertain after its director said he and star Keanu Reeves are ‘done for the moment’ (pictured Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4)
Hitmakers: Ahead of the release of the hotly-anticipated next instalment in the saga – John Wick: Chapter 4 on March 24, filmmaker Chad Stahelski, 54, revealed he and Reeves, 58, wanted to rest the franchise (pictured together on Monday)
The first John Wick film found the title character and former assassin living a peaceful life in retirement, with an adorable dog as his companion, a final gift from his dying wife.
When a group of assassins made the mistake of killing his beloved pooch, the hitman Wick came out of retirement and went on a bloody rampage.
Reeves’ John Wick went on a deadly rampage after his beloved dog was killed, the assassin may just have a new four-legged friend in the final trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4.
The first John Wick film found the title character living a peaceful life in retirement, with an adorable dog as his companion, a final gift from his dying wife
Reeves will return alongside franchise regulars Ian McShane (Winston), Lance Reddick (Charon) and Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King).
Newcomers making their franchise debuts in Chapter 4 include international action icon Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Scott Adkins, Natalia Tena and Clancy Brown.
Chad Stahelski directs from a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, based on characters created by Derek Kolstad.
It was also confirmed that Reeves and McShane will return as John Wick and Winston in the upcoming spin-off Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas.
Gun: John Wick: Chapter 4 will be the longest film in franchise history, clocking in at 2 hours and 49 minutes
The story follows a young woman who was raised from a young age to be an assassin, who seeks revenge on the hitmen who killed her family.
Production kicked off in November, though it’s unclear when the film may be released quite yet.
There is also a TV series dubbed The Continental that will debut later this year on Peacock, which is set at the mysterious hotel chain that serves as neutral grounds for assassins and others in the criminal underworld.
Mel Gibson stars in the series with Colin Woodell and Ayomide Adegun playing younger versions of Ian McShane’s Winston and Lance Reddick’s Charon.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will be the longest film in franchise history, clocking in at 2 hours and 49 minutes.
2014’s John Wick came in at a lean 101 minutes, while 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2 ran 122 minutes and 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum lasting 131 minutes.
While all of the films have come in longer than the last, they have each done better at the box office as well.
The original John Wick earned a modest $43 million domestic and $43 million foreign for $86 million worldwide from a modest $20 million budget.
How it began: When a group of assassins made the mistake of killing his beloved pooch, the hitman Wick came out of retirement and went on a bloody rampage (pictured John Wick 1 in 2014)
The sequel John Wick: Chapter 2 earned $92 million domestic and $79.5 million foreign for $171.5 million worldwide from a $40 million budget.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum raked in even more, with $171 million domestic and $157.3 million foreign for $328.3 million worldwide from just a $75 million budget.
The upcoming sequel John Wick: Chapter 4 was made for a franchise-high $90 million, which is still quite modest by most blockbuster standards these days.
The sequel will find John Wick finding a path to take down the mysterious High Table to earn his freedom from his secretive assassin collective.
