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It has been a decade sinceJohn Wickarrived and revolutionized the action genre. Now, the sleek and stylish Keanu Reeves-played Gun-Fu warrior is all set to transition into the anime world. Chad Stahelski, who helmed all theJohn Wickfilms, recently sat for a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter and spilled more details about the upcoming anime spin-off film.
Chad Stahelski has unveiled that the anime spin-off film will take place before the firstJohn Wickfilm. According to him, it will center around the “impossible” task the titular assassin had to execute before taking his retirement.
John Wick is all set to take over the anime world with more fun and style
Since the Baba Yaga was last spotted on-screen in 2023’sJohn Wick: Chapter 4, the franchise has expanded a lot. Besides the upcomingBallerina, we also got the spin-off prequel showThe Continentaland there are still multiple upcoming projects in development.
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Reports about an anime prequel in theKeanu Reeves-led franchise first came out in November 2023. Initially, it was thought of as a prequel series until Chad Stahelski revealed the change of his plans in his latest interview withThe Hollywood Reporter. Reportedly, the makers are presently “knee-deep in development” on the anime prequel film.
Earlier, we have seen howChad Stahelskiis a pro at blending stylistic action with neon-styled eye-pleasing visuals. The director is targeting to go a level up and amplify the fun in the anime prequel, focusing on John Wick’s time when he was a part of the Tarasov Mob. The first 2014 film revealed that John’s former employer Viggo Tarasov gave him a seemingly impossible mission to earn his freedom which he successfully did before marrying Helen.
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This “impossible” task has been significant in the Baba Yaga’s lore. Fans have always been keen to watch John Wick’s famous man-slaughter to clear Tarasov’s enemies. Stahelski clarified to the interviewer that, unlike sequels and prequels of other franchises, the animated approach would allow them to take a “more crazy and nutty” route with the upcoming film.
You’re pretty right on, but it’s animated fun. It’s meant to be fun. Some of the prequels and sequels that you see in other franchises, we’re not meant to be built that way. We just want to have fun. We want to have fun with the Wick world, but we’ve already capped it on one end [with John Wick: Chapter 4], so let’s go back and use a different medium.
Stahelski has not yet revealed the animation studio, director, and other staff behind the project. However, this will not be his first work in the world of anime as Chad Stahelski is also roped in to design the action sequences of the upcoming Adult Swim anime,Lazarus.
John Wick: Chapter 5will be different than what the fans are expecting
It cannot be denied thatJohn Wick: Chapter 4had an excellent ending and the perfect closure for the titular assassin’s character. Nonetheless, after its monumental success, Lionsgate announced a fifth installment, and the fans were confused about how it would play out.
Chad Stahelski finally clarified in the THR interview that whenever he comes up with a perfect plot for the sequel, it will not follow the storyline of the fourth part. When asked about the interviewer if he had any idea about a better ending for John Wick’s character, Stahelski established the fact that nothing can topChapter 4‘s conclusion. He unveiled that the fifth part will take an unprecedented route and feature something more unique.
So we have some really good ideas, and it would not be part of that [John Wick: Chapter 4] storyline. It would not be what you would think it is. If we could ever crack it to where Keanu and I thought it was a great idea and it didn’t feel like a cheese-out, then that’s great. But as far as [John Wick: Chapter 4], we’ve peaked. At least, I have. That’s my apex. We ended it. It’s a complete story. I watch it now, and I feel very happy about it, but we wouldn’t attempt to outdo it. We wouldn’t try to add on to that. It’d have to be a completely different storyline.
Hollywood has an old affiliation with the unpleasant trend of making unnecessary sequels which often kill the franchise’s charm. With this announcement, the fans can be a bit relieved to know thatChapter 5may not be a direct follow-up to Wick’s story.
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Moreover, the world of the High Table is vast and with the makers continuing to dig in more with upcoming projects, there can be numerous ideas for the franchise’s future. An untitled film surrounding Donnie Yen’s Caine, and a spin-off TV showUnder the High Tableis also in development. Presently, all eyes are set on Ana de Armas’Ballerina, which will be set betweenJohn Wick: Chapters 3and4, and will also feature a cameo of Reeves’ Baba Yaga.
Ballerinais expected to hit the theaters on July 11, 2025, while theJohn Wickanime prequel film does not have a release date yet.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
