Lionsgate Expands John Wick Universe with New Film Projects

LAS VEGAS, April 1, 2025 — Lionsgate announced Tuesday at CinemaCon the creation of new projects in the John Wick franchise, including ‘John Wick 5,’ an animated prequel, and a Caine-centric spinoff film. Keanu Reeves will return to reprise his role as the iconic hitman, while Donnie Yen is set to direct and star in the standalone adventure centered around his character, Caine.

The new announcements come ahead of the release of the upcoming film ‘Ballerina,’ which stars Ana de Armas and opens in theaters on June 6. At CinemaCon, de Armas offered attendees an exclusive preview of the film, showcasing a high-octane combat scene featuring her character, Eve Macarro, who trains as an assassin. “For ‘Bond,’ I only had three weeks of training. ‘Ballerina’ was a whole other level. This is by far the most physical and challenging thing I’ve ever done,” de Armas remarked.

Both Reeves and de Armas will appear in ‘Ballerina,’ which is directed by Len Wiseman and produced by Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, alongside franchise director Chad Stahelski. Details about the plot and additional cast members for ‘John Wick 5’ have yet to be disclosed.

The ‘John Wick’ series began in 2014, experiencing significant growth in box office revenues with each installment. The 2014 original grossed $86.1 million globally, while ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ earned $174.3 million, and ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ brought in $328.3 million. The latest release, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4,’ is the franchise’s highest-grossing film to date, with $440 million in ticket sales. Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate, expressed confidence in the continued evolution of the franchise. “Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world,” he stated.

In addition to ‘John Wick 5,’ Donnie Yen will direct a spinoff film that focuses on Caine, a character he portrayed in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ The project is set to begin production later this year in Hong Kong. Mattson Tomlin, writer of the upcoming ‘The Batman Part II,’ has been tapped to write the project, which aims to explore Caine’s character arc after his release from obligations to the High Table.

Lionsgate described the spinoff as being “stylistically modeled on the uniquely designed action films that Yen helped make famous.” Yen, known for his roles in ‘Star Wars: Rogue One‘ and the ‘IP Man‘ franchise, celebrated the opportunity to contribute further to the John Wick narrative. “The ‘John Wick’ films have set an immensely high standard for action filmmaking, and I greatly appreciate Lionsgate for giving me the opportunity to further elevate the franchise,” he said.

Reeves is also set to lend his voice to the upcoming animated prequel film, which will delve into the backstory of John Wick prior to the events of the first film. Shannon Tindle, director of ‘Ultraman: Rising,’ will helm the project, with Vanessa Taylor, a writer known for ‘Game of Thrones,’ penning the screenplay. This animated feature will recount the origins of Wick’s ‘Impossible Task,’ the assassination mission he undertakes to free himself from obligations to the High Table.

“In both animation and the world of Wick, the possibilities are endless,” Fogelson remarked. “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 excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”