Exactly 10 years ago this week, the first movie in the John Wick franchise hit theaters, kick-starting what would grow into a more than $1 billion franchise that gave fans stylized action, deliciously evil villains, and a dog-loving assassin role that was tailor-made for Keanu Reeves. It proved to be such a success for Lionsgate that the franchise’s universe, after all this time, is continuing to expand at a rapid clip — such that prequels, spinoffs, and more are in the works (but no long-hoped-for fifth movie, sorry folks).
Here’s a snapshot of where things stand with the franchise as it hits the 10-year mark:
In terms of the latest developments, the social media accounts promoting the upcoming Wick spinoff movie Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, pushed out new footage today from the film (which hits theaters in June of 2025). Meantime, we’ve also learned that an anime John Wick prequel film is in the works, the story of which will focus on the “impossible task” that Wick had to perform in order to retire — which, of course, is what set the events of the franchise’s very first film in motion.
Just as significant as all that is another nugget of information about the franchise that’s come straight from co-creator Chad Stahelski himself — it’s that we’re probably never getting a fifth Wick movie. Why? Basically, it’s because John Wick’s story (which saw Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin die in John Wick: Chapter 4 as a result of his duel with Caine) is over. “We ended it,” Stahelski says in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a complete story.”
And when you think about it, that reluctance to take a fifth bite of the apple is actually kind of good news. Yes, it’s true that even though we see a gravestone with Wick’s name on it by the time the credits roll on the fourth movie, Wick’s dead body was nowhere to be found. Which is to say, Stahelski and Reeves could certainly keep this train rolling right along if they wanted to. But rather than beat that horse to death, and risk straining the bounds of plausibility, they’ve chosen instead to expand the universe outward — with prequels, spinoff projects, and the like.
“We didn’t just work the last 10 years to see it all go to shit,” Stahelski said in the THR interview, which should give fans a certain measure of comfort.
Meanwhile, by way of a quick recap of what else is coming for John Wick fans in lieu of a fifth movie:
Ballerina: This spinoff film, set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, stars de Armas as Eve Macarro, a young Ruska Roma dancer whose doe eyes and kewpie doll face belie the stone-cold killer underneath. We don’t have much of a plot to go on yet, but she basically sets out to avenge the murder of her family. And, based on the footage released so far, this one already looks jam-packed with the kinds of highly choreographed action sequences that Wick fans have come to love. Release date: June 2025.
Under the High Table: This TV series is set after the events of the fourth Wick movie. Per its logline, “John Wick has left the world of the High Table in a tenuous position and a collection of new characters will look to make a name for themselves while some of the franchise stalwart characters remain committed to the old-world order. The series will combine new and old and thrust the Wick universe into a new age.” There’s no release date yet, but good news: Both Reeves and Stahelski are executive producers here.
Untitled anime prequel: As noted above, this prequel film will tee things up for what was the very first movie in the franchise. By making it anime, Stahelski told THR, “You can explore things that we couldn’t do in the features … We can be a little bit more crazy and nutty in the anime, and we can be a lot more explicit in our storytelling and world building on the TV show. So those are exciting to us without seeming repetitive, and that’s where we’re putting our energies right now.”
Other titles: The John Wick rumor mill continues to be rife with other exciting projects, including a Rina Sawayama spinoff. In John Wick: Chapter 4, she played Akira, the daughter of Osaka Continental Hotel manager Koji — and that film’s post-credits scene suggests a clash between Caine and Akira over the death of her father. Stahelski, meanwhile, has also hinted at the possibility of a different spinoff built around Sofia, the character played by Halle Berry in the third Wick movie.
Long story short, so much John Wick content is in the works that I can only profess, with apologies to the High Table oath-takers: I have watched. I will continue to watch.
