Here’s some exciting news for John Wick fans out of CinemaCon 2025: the long-teased John Wick: Chapter 5 is officially a go. A concept has been “locked in” and development is underway with series star Keanu Reeves.
And here’s more exciting news for John Wick fans to go with that: the franchise is also getting an animated prequel that will finally, at long last, showcase the “Impossible Task” that didn’t take, but for a brief moment allowed the title assassin to think he’d managed to retire from his crime-laden life. It’s something so wild that Lionsgate decided animation was the only way to tell it right. It will, obviously, take place before the first John Wick movie, and is being written by Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones, The Shape of Water) and directed by Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising).
A press release from Lionsgate explained that “the animated film will go back in time to tell the story of John Wick before the first film, as he completes the Impossible Task—the killing of all of his rivals in one night—in order to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen.”
“I’ve always been fascinated with anime,” John Wick live-action director and animated film co-producer Chad Stahelski said in the release. “It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the John Wick series. To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world. I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this medium—anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before.”
As we already knew, John Wick spin-off movie Ballerina arrives in June—and another spin-off has now been confirmed, with Donnie Yen starring (reprising his role of blind assassin Caine) and directing. It begins filming this summer. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Part II) will write the script.
“The John Wick films have set an immensely high standard for action filmmaking and I greatly appreciate Lionsgate giving me the opportunity to further elevate the franchise,” Yen said in the release. “I am both thrilled and deeply inspired to make this happen.”
Stahelski added, “One of my favorite characters in the John Wick world is Caine. To have the chance to dive into his world and discover all his adventures excites us all. We envision a modern day kung-fu classic that explores the John Wick world, and who better to helm it than Donnie Yen himself. His understanding of the culture, the world, and, of course, the action, make him the perfect director for this project.”
Additional reporting by Germain Lussier. Original post updated with press release quotes.
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