Chad Stahelski: “John Wick 5” could happen
“It’s very flattering for them to come back and say, ‘We want more,’ and it’s not just a money grab,” Stahelski said of the enthusiastic response to the fourth film.
“John Wick: Chapter 4”
©Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection
The overwhelmingly positive response to John Wick: Chapter 4 immediately led to speculation of a fifth film. While it’s clear the franchise will be around for a while thanks to upcoming spin-offs Ballerina and The Continental, there hasn’t been any official announcement of another film starring Keanu Reeves at the helm and center.
Many fans have openly wondered if the film’s ending lent itself to another film (no spoilers here!), but the team behind the films continue to deny that the franchise is over. Chad Stahelski, who has directed all four John Wick films to date, says it’s all about finding the right idea.
Stahelski, who appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’s Behind the Screen podcast, admitted that no one had seriously considered a fifth John Wick movie before. But if the right idea comes along, he’s confident the team will be open to it.
“It’s very flattering for them to come back and say, ‘We want more,’ and it’s not just a money grab. It’s legitimate that audiences want more,” Stahelski said. “I think we all need that little bit of time to be like, ‘Whew. Let’s see what comes next.” … If Keanu and I sit down again in a whiskey bar in Japan in a few months and say, “Yeah, we’ll never do another one like this,” and then suddenly say, “Yeah , but I have an idea, we’re open to it.”
Stahelski’s comments align with what franchise producer Basil Iwanyk said in a recent interview with IndieWire. Iwanyk made it clear that while the ambiguous ending of the fourth film could be a fitting conclusion to the series, the creative team is very open to making another film if they can agree on the right idea.
“We can’t just break up the band on a personal level,” said Iwanyk. “If the film does really well and people love it and if there’s a germ of an idea, we’ll entertain it. We’re so far away from that. I’m not saying there will definitely be a sequel, but if there is a world where we can find a story, we will explore it.”
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https://www.indiewire.com/2023/04/chad-stahelski-john-wick-5-possible-1234825047/ Chad Stahelski: “John Wick 5” could happen