Though John Wick may have finally met his end, audiences are still hoping to see Keanu Reeves return to play his iconic character in John Wick: Chapter 5. Lionsgate confirmed that the sequel is in development in May 2023 following the success of John Wick: Chapter 4, which means this upcoming film has a lot to live up to. However, since this film showed the franchise’s titular character die, one can only imagine what will happen in this sequel and how it could possibly measure up to its predecessors.
Though the available information is limited, here’s a breakdown of everything that’s known about John Wick: Chapter 5.
When will John Wick: Chapter 5 be released?
It’s been almost a year since Lionsgate announced the fifth John Wick movie, and the studio still hasn’t shared a release date for the project. It will surely be a while before this sequel kung fu fights its way into theaters. It is worth noting that past films in the franchise have typically been released two to three years apart, with Chapter 4 being the only exception as a result of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the spinoff film Ballerina is set to premiere in 2025, fans likely won’t see Chapter 5 until at least 2027 or 2028. Hopefully, the former film will satisfy fans and ease the wait between chapters.
What is John Wick: Chapter 5 about?
While there is currently no synopsis for Chapter 5, it will likely depict the characters as they deal with the fallout of Wick’s supposed death. It may seem unlikely that John survived his wounds from his duel with Caine (Donnie Yen), but audiences have seen him survive far worse before. But if he did leave the battlefield alive, it appears that his pals Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) don’t even know it, based on their behavior at his tombstone.
Despite this, Stahelski chose to leave John’s fate ambiguous enough to leave the door open for a fifth film. “There was a different way to do [the funeral scene], and we wanted it to be a little bit more mysterious. That’s why you see the puppy look up at the end [during that scene],” Stahelski explained. “So, we did one test screening, and the audience revolted pretty hard about [the alternate ending]. So we thought that we nailed it the first time, and to the studio’s credit, they didn’t even blink.”
Wick’s death at the end of Chapter 4 seemed like a fitting and satisfying conclusion to his story. But based on the audience’s reaction to a concrete demise, it looks like the studio and the filmmakers intend to satisfy their demands and possibly have Reeves return to lead the franchise again. If John does turn out to be alive, audiences may see how he tries to live now that the High Table has granted him his freedom and is no longer hunting him.
A post-credits scene in Chapter 4 shows Akira (Rina Sawayama) seeking revenge against the blind assassin Caine for killing her father (Hiroyuki Sanada), implying this feud could be part of the sequel’s narrative. Yen did share his desire to lead a spinoff centered around his breakout character, so it is also likely this plotline could pivot into a separate film.
Based on a statement from Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake last year, the studio plans to expand the world of the franchise with spinoffs like Ballerina and The Continental to build up to the events of Chapter 5. “We’re building out the world, and when that 5 movie comes, it will be organic — will be organically grown out of how we’re starting to tell those stories. But you can rely on a regular cadence of John Wick,” said Drake.
Who stars in the fifth film?
No official cast list has been revealed for Chapter 5. However, Reeves and Ian McShane were open to reprising their characters for Ballerina, meaning they might be willing to appear in more films in the franchise. GQ also reported in 2019 that Reeves was happy to keep playing Wick as long as his films were successful. “As far as my legs can take me,” said Reeves. “As far as the audience wants to go.”
Fortunately for fans, John Wick: Chapter 4 scored big at the box office and is now widely considered the best movie in the John Wick franchise, so Reeves already has enough reason to keep playing Wick. Nevertheless, should Reeves and Stahelski decide to put Wick to rest, the latter revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Lionsgate was willing to respect their wishes despite any initial reluctance.
When will the film start shooting?
Since Chapter 5 has no release date, it’s no surprise that a production schedule hasn’t been announced either. It seems like the studio is more focused on finishing its spinoff projects before starting production on Chapter 5.
Before the release of Chapter 4, Lionsgate had planned to film the fourth and fifth movies back-to-back. These plans were ultimately scrapped so the filmmakers could focus on the fourth movie. Hopefully, after the way that movie ended, the filmmakers can reuse their previous ideas for the fifth film and speed up the writing process.
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