'John Wick 4' To Repurpose Scenes Intended For 'John Wick 3'; Spin-Off Film 'Ballerina' Will Use A Similar Action Style
The John Wick universe is going to get a little bigger with a female-led spin-off called Ballerina, and now franchise director Chad Stahelski has provided a new update about that project and some fun facts about the forthcoming John Wick 4. So put on your best suit, high five the Tick Tock Man, and meet us below to read the latest updates below.
John Wick 4 Update
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski revealed that there were a couple of "overlapping thematics" between last year's John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (which was originally going to be the final chapter of the story) and the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4, but that he had to strip the third movie down to the "bare essentials" to make it work. And now he's aiming to utilize some of those unused ideas in the fourth entry.
"There were two action sequences that we had really kind of conceived, but we just didn't have room for them," he said. "So, we pulled them from the movie. And I'd like to think that 90 percent of what I pulled, there's a place in John Wick 4 that I can definitely reinsert them."
Ballerina Update
John Wick: Chapter 3 co-writer Shay Hatten is writing the script for Ballerina, the franchise's first movie spin-off which "focuses on a young female assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family." In Parabellum, we saw a glimpse of Anjelica Huston's Director character coaching/training a series of ballerinas in her academy, so presumably Huston could return for this movie (and we're guessing John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, could also pop up for a cameo). Live Free or Die Hard and Total Recall remake director Len Wiseman is directing, and Stahelski gave a quick update about the project's progress:
"I'm not exactly sure what stage it's at, but it's something I know that both Lionsgate, Thunder Road and myself would like to see happen sooner rather than later. And from what I've heard recently, [Wiseman and Hatten have] got a good angle on it and they're actively developing."
And for those of you who are hoping for some continuity in terms of the action design between these movies, Stahelski says the Wick standard will be upheld in Ballerina:
"Having [Wiseman] on board and approaching some of the action design from a slightly different perspective, meaning the set pieces, the character involvement, how and what he wants to do during the action sequences, makes it kind of fresh. So, we're not just copying ourselves over and over again with gun-fu or something like that. And because the character is different, we're going to get a different take on things. But as far as the level, the competence or the style of action? Yes. I plan to be there to assist whenever I can. And our 87eleven stunt team will be very actively involved in helping Len in all his action needs."
After experiencing a release date change due to the coronavirus pandemic, John Wick: Chapter 4 will now hit theaters on May 27, 2022.