After first being announced last year at CinemaCon, Lionsgate has officially greenlit its animated John Wick film, with Keanu Reeves now formally signed on to reprise his role as the legendary Baba Yaga.
The upcoming film, which is now in pre-production, will be set before the events of the first John Wick and will follow Reeves' title character as he completes "the Impossible Task - the killing of all of his rivals in one night - in order to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen."
As for what fans can expect from the untitled animated feature, it will fully deliver on the highly stylized action that has defined the franchise. It will also be geared toward adult audiences, so we should expect an R-rating.
Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising; Kubo and the Two Strings) has been tapped to direct, with a screenplay by Eternals scribes Ryan and Kaz Firpo. Academy Award nominee Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones; The Shape of Water; Divergent) was previously announced as the writer, but she no longer appears to be attached.
Having produced all four live-action films, Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, 87Eleven Entertainment's Chad Stahelski, and Keanu Reeves are returning as producers, joined by Point Grey's Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
At CinemaCon 2025, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said, “In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless. And there is no John Wick story fans are clamoring for more than the Impossible Task. Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
Longtime franchise director/producer Chad Stahelski added, “I’ve always been fascinated with anime. It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the John Wick series. To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world. I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this medium—anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before.”
The John Wick franchise—which currently includes four main films and the Ana de Armas-led spin-off Ballerina—has grossed over $1.176 billion at the global box office. Another spin-off, titled Caine and starring Donnie Yen reprising his role from John Wick: Chapter 4, recently wrapped filming and is expected to hit theaters in 2027.
After that, John Wick: Chapter 5 is reportedly in development, but it remains to be seen when production could kickstart, especially with Stahelski and Reeves currently busy with different projects.