By now, theJohn Wickmovies are as legendary as their title character. The first film, released in 2014, blew the doors off the action movie world with its tight script, strong performances, and jaw-dropping action set pieces. Keanu Reeves brought something ineffable to his character, butifJohn Wickhas a secret ingredient, it’s the combination of its many parts. The movie made over $80 million at the box office, almost four times its budget. Critics and audiences alike loved the film’s unique cinematography, ambitious action choreography, and underground world of assassins.
Lionsgate moved quickly to capitalize on the success ofJohn Wick. They releasedChapter 2in 2017, andChapter 3: Parabellumin 2019. The same year Lionsgate releasedChapter 2, they announced the production of a prequel series titledThe Continental. The series would focus on the chain of hotels that service assassins in theJohn Wickuniverse, and Reeves would potentially make small appearances throughout the series. The series is still underway, as are the next twoJohn Wickmovies. Thefourth and fifth installments ofJohn Wickwere scheduled to shoot back-to-back, but thathas changed thanks to complications and delaysrelated to the pandemic. Still, a fifth movie is all but guaranteed, and the fourthJohn Wickfilm is scheduled to arrive in theaters July 13, 2025.
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For as much as audiences loveJohn Wick, many are wondering if the franchise has anywhere else to go with its main character. At this point, the universe feels fleshed out, andParabellumexpanded the franchise into a globe-trotting action powerhouse. CanJohn Wickkeep growing enough to justify not one but two more films? Anyone asking the question missed what’s madeJohn Wickso successful. There’s always more depth to the character and the world he occupies. WhenevertheJohn Wickmovies seem to bottom out, they find a way to sledgehammer through the floor to keep moving. With each new addition to the franchise, the world ofJohn Wickgrew wider, and there’s no reason to think that all stopped withParabellum.
Surprising Depth
The firstJohn Wickmovie had all the dressings of a by-the-numbers revenge plot. John, ex-assassin, is mourning the loss of his wife by bonding with a new puppy when he has an unfortunate run-in with some Russian gangsters. They kill his dog, so he sets out to kill all of them. The premise sounds a little ridiculous spelled out like that, but the first movie went much deeper than it needed to. It introduced a secret society of assassins, a mysterious chain of hotels, and acast of characters worthy of their own spin-offs.
Obviously, the people working onJohn Wickdidn’t know they’d get a sequel. The first movie ends with every conflict resolved and could easily have been a standalone.Chapter 2deepened the assassin world lore and used that backstory to cleverlypull John back into its murderous underworld. It introduced new characters and brought on exciting new actors like Laurence Fishburne.Chapter 3did much the same by exploring the real power structures of assassin society along with John’s own origins in the world.
At every turn,John Wickproved it could entertain and surprise in equal parts. Every film essentially has a revenge plot of one kind of another. However, the unique world of the franchise offers new ways for those plots to play out.John Wicktreats its lore with a seriousness other franchises would shrug off. Its commitment to creating a real, lived-in world keepsJohn Wicksupplied with engaging ways to grow and expand.
New Challenges
John Wick Chapter 4faces challenges that previous installments didn’t have. Lionsgate has already announcedChapter 5, soChapter 4likely won’t be able to use the threat of John’s death to up the stakes. Similarly, as more projects likeThe Continentalandthe female-led film spin-offBallerinaare announced,Chapter 4might feel pressure to change its story to advertise the others.
The biggest challenge will be the loss ofJohn Wick’s original creative source. Derek Kolstad created the character, buthe won’t be involved in the productionofChapter 4orChapter 5. Kolstad wrote the first two film scripts himself, and his script for the third film was modified by Lionsgate-chosen writers. After that installment, the studio decided to go their own direction with the franchise. Kolstad says he is still on friendly terms with everyone involved in the production, but his loss could have a major impact on upcoming movies.
Luckily,John Wickstill has its leading man. Keanu Reeves is arguably the driving force behind the franchise’s popularity. His schedule, whichnow includes the much anticipated fourthMatrixfilm, gets busier each day. Despite that, the actor has said he’s one hundred percent on board for anyJohn Wickmovie. Ultimately, the franchise is in good hands, but fans will have to wait for over a year to see ifJohn Wick: Chapter 4will be as impressive as its predecessors.
John Wick: Chapter 4is scheduled for release on June 17, 2025.
