Steve Weintraub talked to producer and John Wick director Chad Stahelski about J. J. Perry’s career and his upcoming directorial debut, Day Shift. Stahelski provided extensive commentary on his work, ranging from the 2008 cult masterpiece Speed Racer (on which he collaborated with The Wachowskis) to the nearly decade-long popularity of the John Wick action trilogy (with Keanu Reeves). When asked whether there will be a John Wick 5, the sequel to the upcoming John Wick 4 (due out on March 24, 2023), Stahelski not only gave an answer but also provided insight into the director’s thoughts on the critically acclaimed action franchise. Weintraub questioned Stahelski about the status of a John Wick 5 production, which had been given the go-ahead in August of 2020.
The filmmaker responded that the studio ultimately decides whether or not a picture gets made, hence the choice was out of his hands. He also gave some background on why he doesn’t have a firm idea of when the series will wrap up, explaining that the success of the first film came as a surprise to everyone. To him, it’s incomprehensible that the series has become so popular when all he and his team intended to do was produce a lighthearted action flick for fun.
The current objective of the studio is to continue the series. I’m not going to say anything, since we’ve all seen where directors and producers end up “Yes. I have no idea. I’ll do five for sure, or “Oh, yeah, definitely.” In addition, I just want to “Guys, hear me out: “John Wick” first was a joke. As an entertaining action flick, it’s the kind of thing we wanted to do.” Furthermore, our lives have been profoundly altered by this event even nine years later. For the better, it seems. Keanu’s whole world shifted as a result. Many other people’s lives have been affected by it as well. Even so, there is a want for more. Stahelski says it’s “fucking gratifying” to see the brand’s continuous success and that fans want to see more of the franchise all the time. “This life has treated me better than everyone else’s. The fact that viewers still desire more encourages us to keep working on new episodes.”
Even while he and Reeves would love to create more John Wick movies, they are also open to exploring other creative opportunities. He specifically mentions Reeves’ impending part in the Devil in the White City adaption directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In addition to the upcoming John Wick 4 film, Stahelski has several other projects in the works, such as a remake of the 1986 film Highlander starring Henry Cavill, a film adaptation of Jeremy Robinson’s 2012 Kaiju novel Project Nemesis, and a film adaptation of the 2020 video game Ghost of Tsushima. Stahelski makes it apparent that he and the film’s star, Keanu Reeves, will likely get down and start plotting John Wick 5 on a press tour, despite their willingness to pursue other projects.
Around this time next year, I predict that we’ll be saying to ourselves, “Yeah, it’s time to make a ‘Wick. Every time I go to Japan on a press trip with Keanu, we stay at the Imperial Hotel, and every time we do, a new Wick is born. Two or three glasses of Yamazaki or Hibiki and suddenly we’re saying things like, “I didn’t realise we could do this.” And that’s how we kick off the first draught!
Another custom while creating these movies is saying that it will be the last one, even though, as Stahelski puts it, after a few shots of Japanese Whiskey, they’re already plotting the sequel. “We are thus really flattered. We’ve been asked to do it before, and it’s always an honour, so I think it’s in the cards for us to do it again. In an ideal world, we’d keep going until nobody can move or lead the charge anymore.” Stahelski continues by noting the John Wick franchise has an undetermined future, but that he and Reeves would be glad to make these films for the rest of their careers and that there is no firm release date for John Wick 5, just that it will be created when they have a narrative they want to tell. “When? I have no idea. Or perhaps immediately after.
Sure, Steve, if you and I came up with a plan and decided, “This has to get created right now,” we’d go ahead and make it. As a result, up until that point, I was completely open to any potential outcomes. I know I say this a lot, but we’d really like to collaborate with him again. Working with Keanu for the rest of my career would be a dream come true.”
On March 24, 2023, moviegoers will be able to see John Wick 4.