Discussing the future of the ‘John Wick’ series, Ian McShane, who portrays Winston, spoke recently to ScreenRant and expressed a sincere wish for lead actor Keanu Reeves to take a well-earned break.
The conclusion of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ saw Wick, played by Reeves, triumph over Donnie Yen’s Caine but seemingly succumb to his wounds. As of now, it’s known that Lionsgate is actively developing ‘John Wick 5.’ However, McShane voiced an opinion different from the studio’s plans, suggesting that the focus should shift away from Reeves’ character:
“I think Keanu deserves a good rest as long as he wants. I spoke to him the other day; he’s resting for a while after the beating he’s taken over the last 10 years from all the assassins of the world. Let him rest until he decides to rise from his grave once again, or wherever he sleeps, because really, I’m his father, and he’s the vampire. So, I’m Vlad, The Impaler. [Laughs] There’s a whole horror film to be made out of this. Everything can zoom into something else. There’s no rules.”
Reeves Himself Wanted John Wick To Be ‘Killed’
According to the franchise’s producer Basil Iwanyk, Reeves didn’t want the franchise to continue with his story either. Iwanyk told Collider last year that making the ‘John Wick’ films destroys the actor:
“After the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies, making these films is so exhausting, and it destroys Keanu, physically and emotionally. By the end, he’s always like, ‘I can’t do this again,’ and we agree with him. The guy is just a shell of himself because he just goes off and goes for it.”
As Iwanyk admitted, Reeves begged the team to kill off his character at the end of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ However, they agreed on another deal:
“He was like, ‘I wanna be definitively killed at the end of this movie.’ We were like, ‘You know, we’ll leave a 10% little opening.'”
Considering the news surrounding the fifth movie of the franchise, it seems that 10% is becoming the reality.
Latest News About John Wick Franchise and 2024’s ‘Ballerina’
Directed by Len Wiseman and set between ‘Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ and ‘Chapter 4,’ ‘Ballerina’ marks the first spin-off movie in the franchise. Featuring a cast including Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, and the late Lance Reddick, the film is slated for release on June 7, 2024.
Regarding ‘John Wick: Chapter 5,’ Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed its development as early as August 2020. Originally planned to be filmed alongside ‘Chapter 4,’ the production was delayed, allowing for a more focused approach to the fourth chapter.
As of November 2023, following the resolution of writers’ and actors’ strikes, work on the script for the fifth film resumed.
Meanwhile, Reeves continues his acting career. In addition to his upcoming appearance in ‘Ballerina,’ he is co-authoring a book titled ‘The Book of Elsewhere,‘ set for a July 2024 release. He is also involved in other projects, including ‘Good Fortune,‘ ‘Constantine 2,‘ and ‘Outcome.‘
