"Working on a fifth John Wick film" — Lionsgate executive breaks silence around John Wick 5 and here's what we know

John Wick 5 is officially on the table, according to Lionsgate executive Jenefer Brown. She shared the update during an event for the John Wick Experience, a franchise-adjacent tourist attraction in Las Vegas. Her announcement comes a few months ahead of the release of Ballerina, the Ana de Armas-starrer set between the events of the third and the fourth John Wick films. It brings Keanu Reeves back to the screen as the iconic assassin.

Ballerina offers relief to Reeves fans who were worried he might never return as John Wick, after his supposed demise in John Wick: Chapter 4. His presence in Ballerina makes sense, considering the film's timeline. However, Reeve's future in this universe seems uncertain, considering his character's tragic fate in the 2023 film. Despite that, Jenefer Brown from Lionsgate is optimistic about the future of the John Wick-led film series. Brown told Comicbook.com:

“This world continues to grow and expand in incredible ways. Up next, of course, we have Ballerina, which is our first spin-off movie, and [we] can’t wait for that to release to the world.”

She added, confirming John Wick 5:

“Of course, we’ve announced we’re working on a fifth John Wick film. I think there are more spinoffs to come, a TV series, video game. We’ve shared that we’re developing a fifth John Wick film. [John Wick] may be [dead]. We are all on bated breath waiting to find out.”

It's still unclear what cinematic liberties the studio would take to make John Wick 5 happen. Regardless, they have a major concern at hand since Keane Reeves might not want to reprise his role.

Here's what Keanu Reeves said about John Wick 5

Keanu Reeves recently had a conversation with CBS, while promoting Sonic the Hedgehog 3. During the conversation, Reeves opened up about his potential return in John Wick 5. He said:

"You can never say never. My knees right now are saying ‘I can’t do another John Wick‘. So my heart does but I don’tknow if my knees can do it.”

Most recently, Reeves shared his thoughts on this topic with extratv, while promoting his miniseries, titled Visionaries, stating:

"Oh my gosh, well there's a version of it called 'Ballerina,' which is in the 'John Wick' world, and John Wick makes a brief appearance. So, other than that, I have no idea. You know, the character's dead. He died in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' I know, in Hollywood you can... I know, I know, it's the Hollywood story. Right now, there isn't."

Based on these reactions, Reeves doesn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea of returning for another John Wick film. It makes sense considering the physically demanding nature of the role. He has been leading the franchise since 2014. Now 60 years old, Reeves might be looking for different kinds of characters.

However, Reeves understands that John Wick is a massively successful Hollywood franchise. So, the executives might want to bring a supposedly dead character back to life if there's enough demand for its return or lucrative potential for John Wick 5.

What can John Wick 5 be about in Keanu Reeves' absence?

A still from the ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ trailer (Image via YouTube/Lionsgate Movies)

Keanu Reeves has not been keen on returning for John Wick 5 for a few reasons, the major one being the death of his character. However, the studio executives might have some other plans for his character's future.

They can explore other aspects of their fictional universe, as they have done so with the spin-off series — The Continental: From the World of John Wick and the upcoming Ballerina. Otherwise, in Reeves' absence, a potential John Wick film can serve as a prequel. It can trace Wick's past and how he earned his reputation.