In a Lionsgate earnings call that took place earlier today, August 6th, CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed that not only is John Wick: Chapter 5 officially happening (which We Got This Covered told you last year), but that they’re looking to film both the fifth instalment and Chapter 4 back-to-back, when Keanu Reeves becomes available in early 2021.
It speaks volumes of the studio’s confidence in the brand that they’ve green-lit a fifth instalment already. No doubt the stellar box office numbers that John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum pulled in have factored into that decision. Of course, Chapter 4 had originally been given a release date in May 2021, but that’s been pushed back by a year due to the coronavirus and we now won’t see it for some time yet.
As a fan, though, I’ve got mixed feelings about the news that there could be as many as five films in the franchise. I thought the first two were a breath of fresh air, surprising as they did with the quality of their world building, while reinventing the action formula you thought had run out of gas with hugely entertaining results. Though Chapter 3 also had its moments – that motorbike sequence was killer – the action reinvention itself started to run out of gas.
If anything, the third film should’ve completed a John Wick trilogy. With those box office returns, however? Dream on. On the outside, it looks like the studio are keeping it going purely for financial gain. But Chapter 3 was written with sequels in mind long before anyone knew how successful it was going to be (though I’m sure everyone expected it would find an audience).
The long and short of it is, we’ll be seeing a lot more of the titular hero in the coming years, as John Wick: Chapter 4 and 5 will be shooting back-to-back. If you’ve got any thoughts of your own on this, drop a comment below. You might not be as apprehensive about the prospect as me.