"Yeah, I'm thinking, I'm back!"
To close out their CinemaCon presentation today, Lionsgate officially announced John Wick: Chapter 5, which is now in active development at the studio, with both director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves set to return.
To date, the franchise has grossed over $1.028 billion at the global box office, with each installment grossing more than the last. The original John Wick earned $86 million worldwide, John Wick: Chapter 2 grossed $174.3 million, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum topped $328.3 million, and, most recently, John Wick: Chapter 4 collected $440.1 million worldwide.
A spinoff film, titled Ballerina is due out this summer, and two more John Wick films were announced earlier today: an anipated prequel film that will follow Baba Yaga as he completes The Impossible Task, and a Caine spinoff film that will follow Donnie Yen's character after the events of Chapter 4.
In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson expressed his excitement, “Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world. We can’t wait for audiences to see where the journey takes us next”
Producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee added, “It’s so important to get this story right and give John’s story the proper next step. It’s exciting to take the first step on that road.”
Speaking of story, Chapter 4 did end with the presumed demise of one John Wick, so fans should be extremely eager to find out how he'll be resurrected in the now-officially announced sequel.
As we mentioned above, next up in the John Wick saga is the upcoming spinoff Ballerina, starring Academy Award-nominee Ana de Armas (Knives Out; No Time to Die; Ghosted) in the lead role as Eve Macarro.
The supporting cast consists of Keanu Reeves (The Matrix; Speed; Sonic the Hedgehog 3) as the legendary John Wick, Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family; Prizzi’s Honor), Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects; Miller's Crossing), the late Lance Reddick (John Wick; The Wire), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace; The Affair), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead; Boondock Saints), Ian McShane (Deadwood; John Wick), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Enola Holmes 2; Dune), and David Castañeda (Poker Face; The Umbrella Academy).
Len Wiseman (Underworld; Live Free or Die Hard) helmed the spinoff, while Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum; Army of the Dead) penned the script. Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski are attached as producers.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits theaters on June 6!
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.