There’s no keeping a good man down – is John Wick really a good man, though? – anyway, three major John Wick projects have just been confirmed at CinemanCon 2025.
While we have reported several times on John wick 5, it seems that it is now 100% confirmed nwow, having been announced officially; as well as this, two other projects we reported on in the past are also now confirmed and moving ahead.
The first project in the movie based on John Wick Chapter 4’s Caine character played by the legendary Donnie Yen which is expected to pick up after the events of the fourth movie. We also now know that the anime-inspired project is a prequel movie telling the story of Keanu reeves’ Wick before we met him in the first movie.
WATCH: Stand back John Wick, the first full trailer for Ballerina is here
John Wick 5 will see Reeves’ return as Wick and will once again be directed by Chad Stahelski and is shrouded in secrecy, though we’re promised that it wouldn’t be happening in “unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world,” Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson said, “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.”
Next up, the Caine movie will see Yen return as Caine but will also direct the movie in Hong Kong later this year – and yes, I am very, very excited for this one.
The movie will be written by The Batman’s Mattson Tomlin, which Lionsgate described as being “stylistically modeled on the uniquely designed action films that Yen helped make famous.”
“From the moment Chad and Donnie pitched the idea of a Donnie Yen-style action film in the mode of John Wick, I was all in,” Fogelson said, “Donnie is not only an incredible, charismatic star, but a smart, cinematic director who knows how to deliver massively entertaining action for a global audience. We’re thrilled that he’s in the director’s chair to tell Caine’s story.”
Donnie Yen talks plans for his John Wick spin-off, Caine… including directing plans
Regular John Wick director and overseer of the franchise Stahelski said: “One of my favorite characters in the ‘John Wick’ world is Caine. To have the chance to dive into his world and discover all his adventures excites us all.
“And who better to helm it than Donnie Yen himself. His understanding of the culture, the world, and, of course, the action, make him the perfect director for this project.”
Fianlly, the animated movie will see Reeves return to voice a young John Wick and will recount ‘the origins of Wick [how] he completes the Impossible Task — the killing of all of his rivals in one night — to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen.’
Ultraman: Rising’s Shannon Tindle is on directing duties for this one and it’s being written by Game of Thrones and the Shape of Water’s Vanessa Taylor.
“There is no ‘John Wick’ story fans are clamoring for more than the ‘Impossible Task,'” Fogelson said, adding: “Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
While the John Wick movies kick-started this universe, it’s a very exciting place to inhabit and I can’t help but be excited by the spinoff stories and to see what anime can do in that world.
Stahelski said: “I’ve always been fascinated with anime. It has always been a huge influence on me… 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.”
With the fifth Wick movie now confirmed and Reeves returning for this summer’s Ballerina, there’s no arguing John Wick will live on for a while yet, but it’s what comes next in that world that I’m most excited for.
What about you all? Let me know…
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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