Lionsgate has revealed that it is working on a John Wick: Chapter 5 sequel, which may come as a surprise to those
who have only seen John Wick: Chapter 4—and nothing else ever, keeping them in a near-perfect state of innocent innocence, marred only by the bloody specter of murder-suplexes.
According to THR, word of the sequel's production came during the studio's earnings conference, which makes sense given that Lionsgate has staked heavily on Wick's acrobatic and lethal antics, and made big bloody bags of money doing so.
The big question mark here, of course, is that a John Wick 5 appears to presume the existence of a John Wick, which the franchise's fourth film placed very much in doubt.
Lionsgate has not been hesitant about profiting on Wick, which has developed from stuntman Chad Stahelski's low-funded directorial debut into what is likely the defining action movie franchise of the last decade.
That includes the Underworld spin-off picture Ballerina, which is set to be released next year by Len Wiseman, the Continental TV prequel series, which has been in the works for years, and, of course, John Wick 5.
We're building out the world," said Lionsgate's Joe Drake. "And when that fifth film comes out, it will be organic — it will grow organically out of how we're starting to tell those stories." But you can count on John Wick's consistent cadence."
Stahelski, for one, has taken a "never say never" attitude toward the franchise. Although he urged Lionsgate to let him end the fourth film on a definite note,
he's also stated that if there's demand, and if he and Reeves can come up with a good plot, there's a good chance we'll see the Baba Yaga kill again.