Director Chad Stahelski sheds light on Keanu Reeves’ perspective regarding the possibility of a John Wick 5 sequel, building on the massive success of Chapter 4.
Chad Stahelski, the director of John Wick: Chapter 4, substantiates Keanu Reeves’ position concerning John Wick 5 and addresses the uncertainty surrounding its production. Following three triumphant installments, Reeves reprised his role as the suave assassin for a high-octane fourth movie that proved to be the most prosperous of the series. Since its debut earlier this year, the likelihood of a fifth installment with Reeves returning has remained shrouded in ambiguity.
In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stahelski elucidates Reeves’ inclination towards reprising his role for John Wick 5. He underscores the privilege of working on projects that hold personal significance, particularly the John Wick franchise. Stahelski confirms that he and Reeves are patiently awaiting the emergence of the right concept for a fifth movie. Although Stahelski has a plethora of concepts for standout scenes, the deciding factor revolves around weaving these into a robust narrative while surpassing the accomplishments of John Wick: Chapter 4. Stahelski’s complete comment about Reeves is as follows:
“Yeah, Keanu and I have conversed. If you were to ask Keanu right now, ‘Would you entertain the idea of John Wick 5?’ He’d respond, ‘Absolutely.’ However, he’d quickly follow that with, ‘But what would it entail? I’m utterly clueless.’ That’s the essence of it. Believe me, it’s not a matter of instant resolution. It’s akin to, ‘Let’s not hash it out today.’ Rest assured, we’ll be focusing on our other ventures for a while, but if inspiration struck while I was driving or walking the dog, I’d be on the phone with Keanu within half a minute, and we’d be brainstorming.”
The Feasibility of John Wick 5:
From a financial angle, Lionsgate’s decision to proceed with John Wick 5 is a logical one, having officially announced the project earlier this year. John Wick: Chapter 4 not only garnered favor with critics but also amassed a staggering $432.2 million worldwide—a franchise record. With each successive release, the franchise’s popularity has grown, and there’s little to indicate that a fifth movie would deviate from this pattern.
From a narrative perspective, the advisability of another installment is slightly less evident. John Wick: Chapter 4 provided Reeves’ character with a fairly definitive and gratifying conclusion, wherein the assassin ultimately finds solace in death. Although the film’s closing moments introduce an element of ambiguity to his demise, potentially allowing for his return, the Wick saga concluded with impact rather than subtlety, a potential risk of undoing through a subsequent movie.
Despite this, each new John Wick entry not only surpasses its forerunner in terms of box office success but also arguably in terms of quality. The fourth installment may well stand as the pinnacle of the series, boasting awe-inspiring and meticulously choreographed action sequences that are unparalleled in Hollywood. Should Reeves and Stahelski collaborate once more for John Wick 5, the outcome could very well be the franchise’s magnum opus, advancing the realm of action cinema on a broader scale.
