Twenty years after it first hit theaters, Constantine is finally getting a 4K Ultra HD upgrade.
The DC Vertigo adaptation, which stars Keanu Reeves as the Hellblazing occultist, will be available to purchase either on a 4K Blu-ray disc with a standard or steelbook copy, or digitally via all major online retailers from February 18 (you can check out a list of additional features below).
Shortly after James Gunn announced the first "chapter" of the new DCU slate last year, rumors began to circulate that a direct sequel was in the works, and Warner Bros. would later confirm that the project was indeed in the early stages of development.
Since then, we've had conflicting reports relating to the movie's status, and a recent rumor that Gunn and Peter Safran had decided to cancel a number of planned projects led to speculation that Constantine 2 would likely be among them.
However, director Francis Lawrence has now confirmed that the project is still in the works, and that it will be R-rated.
“The truth is, somewhere around the 15th anniversary or something, we did a Zoom and we all were discussing trying to get it up and going again. And again, we were just more active with it and finally got it past all these hurdles. And so we are now actively working on a script. So it’s really not that it’s just like, ‘Oh yeah, now we think the world is ready for it.’ I certainly think there is a bigger fan base and certainly it’s become a kind of cult classic, which has been really exciting to see and very strange, but it’s something we’ve always loved. We’re now in a spot where we are actively working on a script."
“And so we had been thinking about it.," he went on. "We had also been given an R rating [on the first Constantine] when we kind of made a PG-13 movie and followed all the PG-13 rules. So we’re like, ‘F–k it, let’s go and do a sequel and really make an R-rated movie. Give us an R, let us make a real R-rated movie.’”
We know that a finished script doesn't necessarily mean that a project will actually enter production, but we're certainly taking this as a positive sign.
As far as we know, Reeves is still set to reprise the role of the chain-smoking demon hunter.
We're not sure if the sequel will be part of the DCU or an "Elseworlds" project like Todd Phillips' Joker movies or Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II, but John Constantine is closely linked to Swamp Thing in the comics, so there's some speculation that the character could be reintroduced as the main DCU's JC.
The first Constantine received mixed reviews when it was released back in 2005, but despite an Americanized interpretation of the Scouse magic-wielder and a few more liberties with the source material, fans reacted well to Reeves' take on the anti-hero, and the movie has gained a strong following over the years.
How do you guys feel about Reeves returning as John Constantine? Would you prefer if the sequel remained in its own universe, or was folded into the DCU? Be sure to drop us a comment down below.
Digital and 4K Blu-ray Special Features
Two Decades of Damnation
Commentaries
Channeling Constantine
Conjuring Constantine
Holy Relics
Shotgun Shootout
Hellscape
Warrior Wings
Unholy Abduction
Demon Face
The Power of Pre-Visualization A Writer’s Vision