Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Constantine

  • ‘Constantine’ Sequel Writer Teases the Long-Awaited Sequel

    ‘Constantine’ Sequel Writer Teases the Long-Awaited Sequel

    The DCU has recently been semi-rebooted but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still dipping their toes into the multiverse. With the new Elseworld branding, they are still working on projects like the Joker sequel, The Batman 2, and many more. Yet, while it was missing during James Gunn‘s presentation, the sequel to Keanu Reeves‘ Constantine is also still in active development.

    Akiva Goldsman shared some details on the project in an interview with Deadline, where he teased that it was all thanks to Keanu Reeves that we’re even seeing movement on the project. Not only was it his recent success with John Wick, but also generally pushed for it as often as he could.

    This is a credit to Keanu, who endlessly has said, ‘this is the character I want to return to. Finally, he said it enough times that it stuck.

    Akiva Goldsman

    It seems that the sequel will further explore the themes of “good and evil,” a staple for the character of John Constantine, who generally plays the grey area. It’ll be interesting to see how they also address the passage of time and how it may have affected Constantine.

    The character is very much Keanu and the way he and Francis saw the world of good and evil, and the wonderful and authentic noir where there is a world behind the world of good and evil coexist with our world right up close. Beyond that, we are still discovering it as I am writing the script.

    Akiva Goldsman

    We’ve seen a few great interpretations of the character so far. This take is definitely not part of the new DC Cinematic Universe but who knows if its success could also lead to a third entry. Constantine is a great character and the first entry wasn’t a big box-office success story, but perhaps a legacy sequel could change that.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Constantine’ Sequel Still Moving Ahead at Warner Bros.

    ‘Constantine’ Sequel Still Moving Ahead at Warner Bros.

    DC Studios officially unveiled its official slate earlier this month and noticeably absent was the previously announced Constantine sequel with Keanu Reeves. The film’s absence led many to believe the film was no longer in development, however, that does not look to be the case.

    According to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. has confirmed that despite rumors suggesting otherwise, the sequel has not been scrapped. The news comes after reports stated that because the film wasn’t listed as part of DC Studios’ Chapter One slate, it was no longer in development. Many were quick to believe this to be the case as the sequel was ordered before James Gunn and Peter Safran, the heads of the newly formed DC Studios, took over DC’s future for Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s unclear how the film will fit in with DC Studios’ current plans, although DC will also offer the Elseworlds banners for films that fall outside the DCU continuity.

    Reeves, who starred in the first film, will return to reprise the titular role with director Francis Lawrence returning to direct the sequel. As of now, the film does not yet have a release date.

    Source: EW.

  • ‘Constantine 2’: How Keanu Reeves Led the Charge for the Sequel

    ‘Constantine 2’: How Keanu Reeves Led the Charge for the Sequel

    Fans of 2005’s Constantine have eagerly awaited a sequel and now the resurgence of Keanu Reeves as John Constantine is finally underway, with Francis Lawrence back as director. Reeves expressed his love for the character and eagerness to collaborate with Lawrence again.

    I don’t know if it was unfinished business but it was definitely a role that I loved. And I thought that Francis Lawrence, the director, did such amazing work. I loved playing that character, and I really enjoyed the film. I was like, [adopts Oliver Twist voice] ‘Can I please have some more?

    Keanu Reeves

    In a recent interview with Total Film magazine, Reeves spoke of his excitement for the upcoming project, though he remains cautious and aware of the unpredictable nature of the industry. Despite initial criticism from hardcore comic fans, Constantine has earned a strong following, attaining a 72% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a financial success, generating a global box office total of $250 million on a $100 million budget.

    The announcement of Constantine 2 was one of the first by Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022. However, prior plans for a slate of HBO Max original projects featuring “dark” DC characters were canceled following the merger. Regardless, Reeves sees this as a new opportunity to bring the character back to life in a new and exciting manner.

    It’s exciting. It’s almost like an open playground that we can hopefully cook something up and play in, and I guess get out of the playground and prepare a meal… But I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully it can happen. You don’t know how these things go. But I’m definitely going to try my darndest to try and realize that dream.

    – Keanu Reeves

    Though Reeves himself isn’t sure if the film will be made, fans eagerly await the return of the beloved actor as John Constantine and to see what the future holds for this beloved character.

    Source: Total Film

  • ‘Constantine’ and ‘Madame X’ Dead at HBO Max, Will Be Shopped Elsewhere

    ‘Constantine’ and ‘Madame X’ Dead at HBO Max, Will Be Shopped Elsewhere

    Back in 2020, JJ Abrams signed a massive deal with HBO Max for his production company, Bad Robot. The deal would give him exclusive access to developing projects from the supernatural side of the DC Universe, specifically Justice League Dark. While numerous projects were announced throughout the years, and one seemed to have secured a leading actor, nothing ever became of the deal. Unfortunately, now it looks as though two projects being developed under the deal are no longer moving forward — at least, not at HBO Max.

    Upon today’s news that, after seventeen years, a sequel to the Keanu Reeves film, Constantine, is in the works, Variety confirmed that JJ Abrams and Bad Robot’s upcoming Constantine and Madame Xanadu series will halt development at HBO Max. The plan is for the shows to be shopped elsewhere. It is of note that the decision was reportedly not due to creative issues.

    This, of course, shouldn’t be entirely surprising. News of the Constantine sequel noted that Abrams would be involved, which could hint that he may have possibly dumped previous plans with the series and could build his Justice League Dark universe from there.

    There is still the matter of the Zatanna film, though, which is currently set to be penned by Emerald Fennel who is best known for her award-winning work on Promising Young Woman. It’s unknown if Abrams is involved in that project at all, but his overall deal with WB would suggest that he is indeed involved.

    Abrams will work with the original film’s director, Francis Lawrence, and Akiva Goldsman on the Constantine sequel which will see Keanu Reeves return to the titular role. There is currently no word on where the other series will be shopped to or if anyone at all shows interest in the projects.

    SOURCE: Variety

  • BREAKING: Keanu Reeves to Reunite With Francis Lawrence for ‘Constantine’ Sequel

    BREAKING: Keanu Reeves to Reunite With Francis Lawrence for ‘Constantine’ Sequel

    Here’s something you may have never guessed: Keanu Reeves is set to once again take on the role of Constantine in an upcoming sequel. He’ll reunite with director Francis Lawrence who helmed the original 2005 adaptation of the popular DC character. Akiva Goldsman is writing the screenplay and is also producing through Weed Road Pictures. J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella are also attached to produce the sequel of a film that was released 17 years ago.

    There were rumblings around 2020 that they might be interested in doing a sequel but when Abrams started working on his Justice League Dark universe with its own take on John Constantine it seemed like they moved on from the project. The character has seen a resurgence in popularity with an NBC series starring Matt Ryan who would, later on, join the CW’s Arrowverse, and even with The Sandman‘s Johanna Constantine, who was played by Jenna Coleman.

    It’ll be interesting to see what this entry means for Abrams series, as it might have quietly been canceled. There’s also the fact that this once again muddles the “a united DC Cinematic Universe” strategy of Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav. Without any new leadership to map out the project, it seems they’ve been busy mapping out various projects that have no direct connection with each other.

    Either way, this is a great surprise for those that have been longing for a sequel and it’s always great to see Reeves return to a role he loved dearly. There’s no exact window yet on when we might expect the project to release but with Lawrence‘s busy schedule there might still be some time before it releases.

    Source: Deadline

  • REPORT: ‘Constantine’ is Safe at HBO Max

    REPORT: ‘Constantine’ is Safe at HBO Max

    Over the course of the past few months, Warner Bros. Discovery has made headlines after canceling a slew of projects. Most of the notable cancellations to occur happened to DC titles including Wonder Twins, which was well into pre-production, and most recently, Batgirl, which was nearly finished. Now, DC fans are curious about what will happen to DC’s previously announced slate of television shows and movies, especially those on HBO Max. While the DC’s future slate remains uncertain, a new report from Deadline suggests that Constantine is still very much moving forward.

    The outlet states that Constantine, which is being developed through J.J. Abrams‘ overall deal at the studio, is on solid ground and is still moving along. In fact, it seems to be one of two projects believed to still be moving forward. Deadline also stated that Duster, which Abrams co-wrote with LaToya Morgan, still has its series order and looks to be active.

    Constantine, which hails from writer Guy Bolton, will see a diverse lead in the role and is imagined as a darker reboot of the DC Comics character. Rumors earlier this year stated that British-Nigerian actor Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù had been cast as Constantine. The actor’s casting was never confirmed, though.

    As it stands, nothing has been officially announced, but it looks like Constantine might be a series saved from cancellation. After all, David Zaslav is said to be a fan of Abrams and, so long as Zaslav feels Abrams’ work is quality, it seems likely Abrams will continue to chip away at his packed slate of projects.

    Source: Deadline.

  • J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    In 2019, J.J. Abrams signed an overall deal with HBO Max that cost the streaming service $250 million. Since then, Abrams’ Bad Robot has yet to actually produce anything under the said deal, which is leading Warner Bros. Discovery to question what the holdup is.

    Ever since Discovery completed its acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T in April, WBD CEO David Zaslav has been going over projects in various stages of development to try and determine whether or not they are worth continuing. One project that has already received the axe is the recently announced Wonder Twins film. The project was originally announced in February, then the project cast its leads in April, only for the film to be halted in early May. Unfortunately, Wonder Twins looks to be only the start of Zaslav’s changes. It’s expected that the newly merged studio will continue to crack down on projects in development – potentially even those being developed through Abrams’ overall deal.

    One of many projects announced as part of Abrams’ overall deal was Demimonde, a science fiction drama set to star Watchmen alum Danielle Deadwyler. The project was expected to consist of 10 episodes, but it might now be on the bubble with Bad Robot reportedly eyeing a budget north of $200 million for the series. As if that isn’t bad enough, Abrams is also developing HBO Max’s DC Comics-based Justice League Dark franchise, which will include shows like Constantine and Madame X. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is possible to even those projects could come under scrutiny from Zaslav.

    Part of the frustration is said to be that Abrams has “laid claim” to numerous DC characters but has yet to see a project through to fruition. While Warners has seen scripts for Constantine and the pilot of Madame X, the lack of movement could result in action from Zaslav as the streaming service is said to be dealing with a pipeline issue. As it stands, there is reportedly no delivery plan for any of the projects being developed under Abrams’ Bad Robot banner.

    It is of note that, along with producing a new Star Trek movie for Paramount, Abrams was just announced to be producing a Speed Racer series for Apple TV+ through his Bad Robot banner. That project is actually being produced as part of his overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, which is also producing the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù In Talks To Play John Constantine

    RUMOR: Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù In Talks To Play John Constantine

    The DC Extended Universe looks to be branching out into the supernatural side of the mythos with J.J. Abrams and his production company, Bad Robot leading the charge. A few years ago, it was announced that Abrams and company would be developing several of DC’s Justice League Dark characters through several projects such as Zatanna, Madame X and Constantine.

    Over the past week, news on the Constantine project has begun filtering out and it seems it will be the first to get rolling, which means they need a John Constantine. The Illuminerdi is reporting that british-Nigerian actor Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, best known for his work on Gangs of New York and His House, is in talks to star as the and occult detective. Should he land the role,Dìrísù will be the third actor to wear the trench coat, following in the footsteps of Keanu Reeves and Matt Ryan.

    The first story details on the project emerged just a few days ago, revealing that the series will see the streets of London filled with the supernatural, body horror, and urban action. It will see Constantine’s whole word changed when he meets a young girl that pulls him into the dark world of the occult. The series is currently casting for this girl, only known as “Akara” who could be Astra Logue, a young girl Constantine tried to save but failed, causing her to be damned to hell by the demon Nergal.

    We will continue to track this developing project.

    SOURCE: Illuminerdi

  • First Story Details for HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Reboot

    First Story Details for HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Reboot

    J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot made quite the deal with HBO as the production company was able to make an exclusive deal for three projects, which includes a Stephen King-inspired story called Overlook and Duster. Yet, the biggest surprise was that they are also adopting an iconic Justice League Dark member. It wasn’t until February of this year that we uncovered it was going to be about Constantine with UK writer Guy Bolton attached to write the series. Now, the first details have found their way online.

    The 8-episode series is set to combine elements of body horror, supernatural and urban action in the streets of London. They are currently casting a character by the name of “Akara” who is a young 10-year-old Cambodian and will be the heart of the story. She’ll be cast alongside her grandfather “Pich.” A sudden encounter with the girl will throw the life of John Constantine upside down, as he falls down a rabbit hole of dangerous encounters and the occult. As these characters are cast under fake names, Akara could end up being Astra Logue from the Hellblazer comics.

    The project is currently being cast under the working title “Blood Work” and, as mentioned by Illuminerdi, will start production later this year in the Fall. They shared that the production would work under the title “Chimney” as a cute callback to the character’s smoking habits. It’ll run until February of 2023, as it aims to shoot in London and Morocco. There’s still no word yet on who will take on the role of John Constantine, as Bad Robot has been actively looking to fill the role and is open to diverse casting.

    It isn’t the first adaptation of the popular Hellblazer comics, as 2014 saw a one-season adaptation by NBC with Matt Ryan in the titular role. The series was simply titled Constantine but didn’t manage to land a second season renewal. Yet, Ryan’s portrayal was met with a lot of fanfare, which led to him joining CW’s Arrowverse, where he became a member of the Legends of Tomorrow series. It’s unclear if this new adaptation for HBO Max will become part of the bigger DC Extended Universe, or remain a self-contained story.

    Source: KnightEdgeMedia

  • New Details on HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Series

    New Details on HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Series

    Over a year ago it was announced that JJ Abrams and his production company, Bad Robot, had closed a deal with Warner Bros to develop series and films based on the Justice League Dark characters from DC Comics. The projects have begun to pick up talent move along at a moderate pace but it seems things could be kicking much sooner than we thought. Since the announcement projects like Zatanna, Madame X, a Justice League Dark series, and now Constantine will make his return to the small screen.

    RPKNews recently shared some information on the ongoing development of the series and that casting is currently searching for its lead. They’ve revealed the series is also currently titled ‘Justice League Dark: Constantine’ and that they are currently searching for a Black, British man in the 25-29-year-old range to portray John Constantine in this upcoming series. Production on the project is currently set to begin in quarter 2 of 2022.

    HBO Max and Bad Robot are looking to give Constantine a new angle in this series from what previous adaptions had. Both the film starring Keanu Reeves and the series starring Matt Ryan heavily focused on the religious aspect of the character. This time around they’re looking to explore the horror aspect of the character’s comic book roots and really separate this adaption from the past.

    Justice League Dark: Constantine will be written by Guy Bolton and produced by Bad Robot. No further details on the project have been revealed but we can hopefully expect some casting very soon.

    SOURCE: YouTube