By now, the John Wick movies are as legendary as their title character. The first film, released in 2014, blew the doors off the action movie world with its tight script, strong performances, and jaw-dropping action set pieces. Keanu Reeves brought something ineffable to his character, but if John Wick has a secret ingredient, it's the combination of its many parts. The movie made over $80 million at the box office, almost four times its budget. Critics and audiences alike loved the film's unique cinematography, ambitious action choreography, and underground world of assassins.
Lionsgate moved quickly to capitalize on the success of John Wick. They released Chapter 2 in 2017, and Chapter 3: Parabellum in 2019. The same year Lionsgate released Chapter 2, they announced the production of a prequel series titled The Continental. The series would focus on the chain of hotels that service assassins in the John Wick universe, and Reeves would potentially make small appearances throughout the series. The series is still underway, as are the next two John Wick movies. The fourth and fifth installments of John Wick were scheduled to shoot back-to-back, but that has changed thanks to complications and delays related to the pandemic. Still, a fifth movie is all but guaranteed, and the fourth John Wick film is scheduled to arrive in theaters May 27, 2022.
For as much as audiences love John Wick, many are wondering if the franchise has anywhere else to go with its main character. At this point, the universe feels fleshed out, and Parabellum expanded the franchise into a globe-trotting action powerhouse. Can John Wick keep growing enough to justify not one but two more films? Anyone asking the question missed what's made John Wick so successful. There's always more depth to the character and the world he occupies. Whenever the John Wick movies seem to bottom out, they find a way to sledgehammer through the floor to keep moving. With each new addition to the franchise, the world of John Wick grew wider, and there's no reason to think that all stopped with Parabellum.
Surprising Depth
The first John Wick movie had all the dressings of a by-the-numbers revenge plot. John, ex-assassin, is mourning the loss of his wife by bonding with a new puppy when he has an unfortunate run-in with some Russian gangsters. They kill his dog, so he sets out to kill all of them. The premise sounds a little ridiculous spelled out like that, but the first movie went much deeper than it needed to. It introduced a secret society of assassins, a mysterious chain of hotels, and a cast of characters worthy of their own spin-offs.
Obviously, the people working on John Wick didn't know they'd get a sequel. The first movie ends with every conflict resolved and could easily have been a standalone. Chapter 2 deepened the assassin world lore and used that backstory to cleverly pull John back into its murderous underworld. It introduced new characters and brought on exciting new actors like Laurence Fishburne. Chapter 3 did much the same by exploring the real power structures of assassin society along with John's own origins in the world.
At every turn, John Wick proved it could entertain and surprise in equal parts. Every film essentially has a revenge plot of one kind of another. However, the unique world of the franchise offers new ways for those plots to play out. John Wick treats its lore with a seriousness other franchises would shrug off. Its commitment to creating a real, lived-in world keeps John Wick supplied with engaging ways to grow and expand.
New Challenges
John Wick Chapter 4 faces challenges that previous installments didn't have. Lionsgate has already announced Chapter 5, so Chapter 4 likely won't be able to use the threat of John's death to up the stakes. Similarly, as more projects like The Continental and the female-led film spin-off Ballerina are announced, Chapter 4 might feel pressure to change its story to advertise the others.
The biggest challenge will be the loss of John Wick's original creative source. Derek Kolstad created the character, but he won't be involved in the production of Chapter 4 or Chapter 5. Kolstad wrote the first two film scripts himself, and his script for the third film was modified by Lionsgate-chosen writers. After that installment, the studio decided to go their own direction with the franchise. Kolstad says he is still on friendly terms with everyone involved in the production, but his loss could have a major impact on upcoming movies.
Luckily, John Wick still has its leading man. Keanu Reeves is arguably the driving force behind the franchise's popularity. His schedule, which now includes the much anticipated fourth Matrix film, gets busier each day. Despite that, the actor has said he's one hundred percent on board for any John Wick movie. Ultimately, the franchise is in good hands, but fans will have to wait for over a year to see if John Wick: Chapter 4 will be as impressive as its predecessors.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled for release on May 27, 2022.