A new set photo revealed that John Wick 4 has officially started filming. Due to the pandemic, the release of the long-awaited sequel was pushed an entire year and will now hit theatres in May of 2022.
John Wick 4 will see Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Laurence Fishburne reprise their roles from the previous films. The ensemble cast also includes Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Bill Skarsgard (IT), Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp), and Donnie Yen (Rogue One). Chad Stahelski, who notably helmed the first three installments, was tapped to direct the upcoming sequel.
The official social media account for the action franchise tweeted an image of a production chair displaying the John Wick 4 logo with the caption, “It’s begun. #JohnWick4 is now in production.” The sequel will be the first in the franchise that doesn’t involve John Wick creator Derek Kolstad (Nobody, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier). The filmmaker recently stated that while the studio didn’t ask him to return, he’s still close with Stahelski and is excited to see what happens next. Kolstad will also not be involved with John Wick 5, which was originally supposed to shoot immediately after the fourth film.
While details on the film have been kept under wraps, Fishburne mentioned that John Wick 4 takes place in the same world as the other three films. The actor added that the blockbuster is deeper in terms of the code of the assassin and the relations Wick has with a character named Mr. Watanabe. John Wick 4 was announced soon after the debut of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which grossed $326 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing film in the franchise in just 10 days. Meanwhile, a John Wick spinoff series titled The Continental is also in the works at Starz. Reports suggest that the gritty prequel will center on a younger version of McShane’s Winston. Lionsgate TV boss Kevin Beggs stated that the series will explore the origins of the assassin’s hotel and won’t feature a young Wick.
Later this year, Reeves will be seen alongside Carrie-Anne Moss, Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, and Priyanka Chopra in Lana Wachowski's The Matrix 4. The highly-anticipated sequel comes 18 years after The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Reloaded, and 22 years after the first film was released. Collectively, the trilogy earned more than $1.6 billion at the global box office.
Last summer, Reeves stated that he signed on to the upcoming sequel because Wachowski’s script was written beautifully and resonated deeply with him. The film reportedly wrapped shooting in Berlin earlier this year and will hit theaters and HBO Max on December 22, 2021.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 27, 2022.
Source: JohnWickMovie|Twitter