Keanu Reeves' latest recurring cinematic character, John Wick, has been leaving a trail of bodies in his wake ever since he was introduced in 2014. Next year, Mr. Wick is returning in John Wick: Chapter 3, and while it will be a while until we officially learn whether or not John Wick: Chapter 4 will happen, director Chad Stahelski envisions this as a franchise that could continue for much longer. Stahelski stated:
I enjoy making these movies because there's no limit. We create our own mythology, and we have a studio that both stays out of our way and supports us on the wacky decisions. If people go see the movie, and it makes money, and they came back to us, Keanu and I have ideas for days. I could live here for the rest of my career. If people like it and want to watch more, I could think of way worse ways to spend your career. But, you know, we're in the entertainment business. We'll let the audience figure that out.
After co-directing John Wick with David Leitch (though Leitch was ultimately credited as a producer), Chad Stahelski took the helming reins completely on his own for John Wick: Chapter 2 when Leitch decided to tackle Atomic Blonde. Stahelski is currently putting the finishing touches on John Wick: Chapter 3, but clearly he's not ready to say goodbye to Keanu Reeves' assassin, as he and Reeves have already come up with some ideas on where things could go for a fourth movie and beyond.
Still, as Chad Stahelski admitted to EW, whether John Wick will become more than a trilogy depends on the audience turnout. Earning positive critical reception is one thing, but for franchises, they also have to be profitable. Fortunately, both John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2 were commercially successful, making $88 million and $171 million, respectively. So ideally that bodes well for John Wick: Chapter 3 doing well at the box office, and if it indeed follows in the financial footsteps of its predecessors, then that'll be incentive for Lionsgate to continue this film series.
Even on the off chance that John Wick: Chapter 3 is the last of the main saga, the universe John and these other colorful killers inhabit will live on. Starz has ordered to air a TV series called The Continental, which, as the names indicates, will be centered around the hotel chain that serve as sanctuaries for assassins and other criminals. David Leitch will direct the pilot episode and Keanu Reeves is expected to reprise John at some point.
It was also reported in 2017 that a script called Ballerina, which follows a young girl who is raised to be an assassin and later hunts down the people who killed her family, was being looked at as a spinoff to the John Wick movies. However, there haven't been any updates regarding Ballerina since then, so it's unclear if Lionsgate is still interested in using that project to expand the John Wick universe.
We here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on what's happening with the John Wick franchise as more details come in. John Wick: Chapter 3 (also known as John Wick 3: Parabellum), will be released in theaters on May 17, 2019.
