John Wick 4: Everything We Know About The Action Sequel

The John Wick series is one of the most successful action franchises of recent years, but unlike many big movie franchises, it had a relatively modest beginning. 2014's John Wick, which starred Keanu Reeves as a former hitman reluctantly brought out of retirement, was not a massive commercial success. It grossed $86 million worldwide--a respectable figure for a movie with a $30 million production budget, but hardly the sort of numbers that suggests the start of a big ongoing series.

It was 2017's sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, that really took the series into blockbuster territory. With a bigger scale and far more extravagant action set-pieces, it was a critical and commercial smash. John Wick: Chapter 3--Parabellum, released in 2019, was even bigger, making $327.3 million worldwide and ensuring the long-term future of the franchise.

John Wick 4 is due for release in March 2023, having been recently delayed from May 2022. The movie was originally supposed to be with us in 2021, but like many movies over the past two years, was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So here's everything we know to date about John Wick 4.

What's the release date?

John Wick 4 will hit theaters on March 24, 2023.

Who's Coming Back?

Several of the main actors from the previous John Wick movies will be back for this fourth installment. Keanu Reeves plays the title role once more, with Ian McShane back as Winston, the manager of the New York Continental Hotel, and Wick's former friend who betrayed him at the end of Chapter 3. Lance Reddick returns as Charon, the concierge of the Continental, and Laurence Fishburne plays The Bowery King, the head of the underworld intelligence network known as The Soup Kitchen.

Who's new?

John Wick 4 has added several new actors to its cast. It's an impressive mix of character actors and established action stars, plus pop star Rina Sawayama in her first movie. The supporting cast looks like this:

• Donnie Yen (Ip Man, Rogue One)
• Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp)
• Bill Skarsgård (Eternals, It)
• Hiroyuki Sanada (Army of the Dead, Westworld)
• Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2, Doctor Strange)
• Clancy Brown (Thor: Ragnarok, Promising Young Woman)
• Rina Sawayama

Who's the director?

The movie is helmed by former stuntman Chad Stahelski. He also directed the second and third John Wick films and co-directed the first with David Leitch.

Who's the writer?

John Wick 4 is written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. Hatten co-wrote Chapter 3 as well as Zach Scheider's Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves. Finch's credits include Predators, American Assassin, and The November Man. Notably, this will be the first John Wick movie without any involvement from franchise creator Derek Kolstad, who previously revealed that he wasn't asked to work on the film.

What's the story?

John Wick 4 will pick up the story after the shocking events at the end of the third movie. Wick was shot and seemingly left for dead by Winston, who is able to regain his role as manager of the Continental as a result. But Wick survived and plans to bring down the feared underworld authority the High Table, potentially with the help of the Bowery King.

While we don't know much more about the film's plot beyond that, Reeves recently revealed that the opening sequence will take place in the desert. "John Wick is back in the desert on a horse," he told Collider. "I'm going to hopefully be able to fast-gallop and run.”

In addition, Stahelski told IndieWire that the movie won't have a happy ending. "He’s got nowhere to go,” he said. “Honestly, I challenge you right now, here's a question to you: How do you f***ing want me to end it? Do you think he's going to ride off into the f***ing sunset? He's killed 300 f***ing people and he's just going to [walk away], everything's okay? He's f***ed for the rest of his life. It's just a matter of time."

Is there any footage or images?

Production on John Wick Chapter 4 only wrapped in November, so unsurprisingly we're yet to see any official images or footage from the film. However, some on-set photos did leak, including one suggesting that the movie's title might be John Wick 4: Hagakure. But of course, this could just be a working title - or a red herring. We'll know soon enough.

Will there be more John Wick movies?

This film will definitely not be the final John Wick movie. The fifth film is confirmed, and at one stage was set to shoot back-to-back with the fourth. But although this didn't happen, we know Stahelski will return as director. Beyond that, the prequel TV show The Continental is on the way--the three-part Starz series will be set in the '70s and focus on the rise of the hitman hotel of the title. There's also a spin-off titled The Ballerina in the works, with a script by Hatten.