Lionsgate just announced a John Wick prequel movie in the works, taking place before the events of the first movie and before “The Baba Yaga” left his assassin trade behind. Keanu Reeves won’t be digitally de-aged for this project — instead, it will be an animated film. The studio plans to announce the project at CinemaCon on Tuesday, according to a report by IndieWire, and a lot of the talent is already in place. Reeves will reportedly return to voice the iconic character under director Shannon Tindle and writer Vanessa Taylor. It’s unclear how far along this project is, but it sounds like the entire team already has a pretty clear vision for it.
The animated John Wick prequel has no title yet, but it will harken back to the end of Wick’s original career as a hitman. Fans may recall that he was allowed to “get out” of that lifestyle only by completing an “impossible task” for the High Table. This movie will apparently depict that job, an Wick’s unwavering determination to get free and spend the rest of his life with his wife, Helen.
“In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless,” said Lionsgate executive Adam Fogelson. “And there is no John Wick story fans are clamoring for more than the Impossible Task. Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
[RELATED: John Wick Experience Execs Break Down How They Brought the Franchise to Life]
Taylor has a diverse background as a screenwriter, from Divergent to The Shape of Water to Hillbilly Elegy. Tindle is fresh off the success of Ultraman: Rising, which she directed. As an animator, she also worked on Kubo and the Two Strings, Megamind, and Coraline. Meanwhile, many of the producers on all the John Wick movies up to this point will take part here, including Reeves himself and the director of the first four films, Chad Stahelski.
“I’ve always been fascinated with anime,” Stahelski said. “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.”
This may be the perfect move for this series after Reeves recently cast doubt on his future playing action heroes. Earlier this year, the 60-year-old actor said that he wasn’t sure a fifth chapter of John Wick was in the cards because of the physical demands of the role. He told CBS News that “my heart does, but I don’t know if my knees can do it.”
Despite the animated format, the tone and content are not expected to change. Lionsgate assured viewers that this movie will still be meant for adults, and will be as gory and violent as any John Wick adventure up to this point.
John Wick will be back in theaters this summer with the first spinoff film Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas as another assassin in this shadowy underworld. As for this animated project, there’s no word yet on when it might hit our screens.
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