De John Wick series will have a fifth film set to make it back-to-back with the fourth installment of the franchise, it has been confirmed.
In an announcement on Thursday (August 6), Lionsgate confirmed that the next two films in the Keanu Reeves franchise will begin production in early 2021.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the films were confirmed in a quarterly call by Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, who said the shooting will begin as “Keanu becomes available early next year.”
The award-winning action franchise has raised $ 579 million internationally since its 2014 debut.
“We are also busy preparing scripts for the next two installments of our John Wick action franchise, with John Wick 4 reaching out to hit theaters Memorial Day weekend 2022,” Feltheimer said.
The fourth film was slated for release on May 21, 2021, but it has now been reverted to May 27, 2022 due to complications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent closure.
“With the appetite for fresh content over time and declining consumer options due to the global shutdown, we made it a strategic priority to be one of the first major studios to return to production,” Feltheimer added.
“Over the past five months, we have put together a conceivable strategy to restart production with protocols to best ensure the safety of cast and crew.”
Review John Wick 3: Parabellum in 2019, Alex Flood of NME wrote: “Director Chad Stahelski is a master of hand-to-hand combat shooting, but the ability to worry us about an emotional killing machine is his greatest achievement.
‘Exciting and exhausting in equal measure, the third chapter in this bonkers franchise is without a doubt the best. But how long can a 54-year-old actor continue to put a body through the wringer in such a physically demanding role? Time to crack on Chapter 4, we think. Tick-tock, Mr. Wick. ”
