Lionsgate
- John Wick: Chapter 4 has been delayed numerous times in recent years.
- The film is now scheduled to hit theaters in March 2023.
- Director Chad Stahelski recently teased that the film finds new ways for John Wick to “suffer.”
After years of delays — John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum hit theaters back in the Summer of 2019 — John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally set to hit theaters early next year, as the film is currently dated for a March 24, 2023 release.
The impending release of John Wick: Chapter 4 certainly feels more real than ever as production not only wrapped earlier this year, but those involved with the project have begun to tease what’s in store.
During a recent appearance at CinemaCon earlier this month, John Wick franchise star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski teased the highly-anticipated next film in the series, stating that their primary goal in the movie was to make Baba Yaga “suffer.”
The goal of John Wick: Chapter 4 was to make John Wick “suffer”
Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski said they had a simple goal for John Wick: Chapter 4.
“We keep finding new and interesting ways to have John Wick suffer,” Stahelski said. “That’s where the action comes from. Figure out how to make him suffer, and then design backward.”
Naturally, some of those ideas come from Reeves. “I’ve called out a couple of things, like, ‘Let’s get on a horse in the desert.’ ‘Let’s drive a little bit.’” [via The Hollywood Reporter]
In addition to the tease about Wick’s suffering, the first footage from John Wick: Chapter 4 — which sees the beloved assassin wielding nunchucks — was recently shown at CinemaCon (although the teaser has not yet made its way online):
In the footage screened, Wick is on his perpetual revenge tour — this time taking on a decidedly lone ninja vibe — seen punching a wooden post to the point of his knuckles bleeding as co-star Laurence Fishburne acts as his hype man.
“I want you to find peace, John,” an off-screen voice booms as a montage plays of Reeves slaying his enemies, “but the only path this leads to is death.”
In the heart-pounding final moments of the trailer, Reeves takes on two baddies in the lobby of an art gallery — brutalizing them with nunchucks in a relentless, face-busting, merry-go-round motion. [via Variety]
Not only are the upcoming fourth and fifth chapters in the main John Wick series due to release in the coming years, but Lionsgate has also confirmed that the Ana de Armas-starring spinoff Ballerina will begin production this summer.
At this time, John Wick: Chapter 4 — which stars Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, and Clancy Brown in addition to Keanu Reeves — is scheduled to hit theaters in the United States on March 24, 2023. After abandoning plans to shoot the films back-to-back, it is unclear when production on John Wick: Chapter 5 — likely the last time the soon-to-be 60-year-old Reeves will play the role — will begin.
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