Director Chad Stahelski shares new John Wick: Chapter 4 story details, calling it a "good continuation" of the franchise and teasing a "conclusion". Plot details for the next installment in the action franchise are currently unknown, though it is expected to continue the cliffhanger ending of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum in which Keanu Reeves' titular hero was shot and left for dead by Ian McShane's Winston. Wick was in turn offered the assistance of Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King in getting revenge on the High Table for their actions against the two.
Reeves, Fishburne and McShane are all returning for John Wick: Chapter 4 alongside fellow franchise vet Lance Reddick as The Continental's concierge Charon. The film will also mark the series debuts of action vets Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada and Scott Adkins as well as Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Bill Skarsgård and Clancy Brown, all of whom have been cast in undisclosed roles. Development on John Wick: Chapter 4 has been in the works for three years now since the success of its predecessor and after multiple production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Reeves' commitment to The Matrix Resurrections, it is set to hit theaters next spring.
In honor of the first footage premiering at CinemaCon, Collider caught up with director Chad Stahelski to discuss John Wick: Chapter 4. When asked about the plot for the film, Stahelski mostly kept mum regarding specific story details, but did tease its continuation of the previous entries and a form of "conclusion" to a storyline. See what Stahelski shared below:
“I think Chapter 4 is a good continuation of all three previous films, and it's got a bit of a conclusion to it, which is great. We introduce a ton of new characters that have a lot to say about John Wick from his past and from, obviously, present. I think it's brotherhood, it's hope. It's what the life would really be like as a bit of an existential crisis with John, and I think that's the fun part of the movie. That's what it's ending, but there's a good conclusion to an emotional thread that we've already had."
Stahelski's tease of the John Wick: Chapter 4 story details comes on the heels of the first footage for the action sequel premiering at last week's CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The sizzle reel shown at the event saw Reeves' titular assassin back in action, utilizing nunchucks for the first time in the franchise, as well as the return of Fishburne's Bowery King, now fully allied with Wick after being hesitant to help the protagonist for most of the previous film. Reactions to the John Wick: Chapter 4 footage was largely positive at CinemaCon, with most feeling it was once again raising the scale for the action franchise and delivering larger body counts than before.
Though he kept mostly mum on the general details for the film, it is interesting to note that Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter 4 story discussion notes the film has a "good conclusion to an emotional thread" in the franchise. Lionsgate had previously greenlit a John Wick 5 with plans for back-to-back production with the next film, though ultimately dropped those plans to focus on the fourth installment, and while the long-gestating Ballerina spinoff is moving forward with Ana de Armas starring, the future of Reeves' movies is unknown. Only time will tell what conclusion Stahelski is teasing when John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on March 24, 2023.
Source: Collider
