Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: John Wick

  • Lance Reddick Joins ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Lance Reddick Joins ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Lionsgate’s John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, has added Lance Reddick to its cast. The news was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter with the outlet reporting Reddick will reprise his role as Charon, a concierge at the Continental. He will star opposite leading lady Ana de Armas, as well as Angelica Huston and Ian McShane. The film follows a young woman with killer skills who uses said skills to get revenge when her family is killed by hitmen and is set within the John Wick cinematic universe.

    Reddick has appeared in every John Wick film to date as Charon and reprises the character once again in John Wick: Chapter 4. Outside of the John Wick universe, Reddick has recently appeared in such titles as the final season of Bosch as Deputy Chief Irvin Irving and Netflix’s Resident Evil series. Reddick also has roles in upcoming projects, such as Shirley, starring opposite Regina King, and Kenya Bariss‘ White Men Can’t Jump remake.

    The movie is being produced by John Wick director Chad Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk, and Erica Lee. The project is being overseen by Brady Fujikawa and Chelsea Kujawa for Lionsgate. Production on Ballerina is currently underway, with Len Wiseman (Underworld) directing from a screenplay by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4). As of now, the film does not yet have a release date.

    Source: THR

  • ‘John Wick’ Director Teases What to Expect in the Latest Franchise Entry

    ‘John Wick’ Director Teases What to Expect in the Latest Franchise Entry

    John Wick is set to return for a fourth entry and it continues to be one of the most exciting franchises hitting cinemas. While superheroes and the usual blockbusters have taken the medium by storm, there’s something refreshing about a revenge story continuing to unfold through the eyes of Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick. Even in a grounded world, he is facing ever bigger challenges. Luckily, director Chad Stahelski offered a tease of what’s to come in the upcoming fourth entry and it already sounds insane.

    If you took The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, crossed it with Zatoichi, and threw in a Greek myth, you’d probably get something close to this. And who else fucking says those kinds of sentences? Now you know why I like doing John Wicks.

    Chad Stahelski

    Zatoichi is definitely a curious tease and might mean we’ll see a lot more samurai action throughout the entry. Samurai showdowns aren’t truly new to the franchise, but with the addition of Hiroyuki Sanada it does seem like we’ll get some more stunning action sequences inspired by it. We know very little about his character, but a blind samurai would be quite an interesting opponent for Wick to tackle.

    The tease of Greek myth is also quite a curious addition to that list. One of the franchise’s biggest assets is the unique world-building it uses to make its world and The Continental stand out. So, perhaps we’ll explore more corners of this assassin-filled world and find out what exactly is funding all these hits.

    Source: Empire

  • Anjelica Huston Reprises ‘John Wick’ Role in ‘Ballerina’ Spinoff

    Anjelica Huston Reprises ‘John Wick’ Role in ‘Ballerina’ Spinoff

    We’ve already had quite a few reveals that some familiar faces will arrive in John Wick‘s first spinoff titled Ballerina. It’ll further expand the world filled with assassins that Keanu Reeves‘ first introduced us to back in 2014, which would eventually grow into a major franchise that stands out from the rest. Production is already underway on the spinoff with Ana de Armas set to take on the title role. Now, one more familiar cast member is set to return from the main series.

    The Len Wiseman-directed film will see the return of Anjelica Huston in the role of The Director, who is the head of the Ruska Roma crime organization. She was introduced to us in John Wick 3 – Parabellum and it’s unclear just how big a role she’ll have in this expansion. There is likely a deeper connection between her and the unnamed main character of this spinoff, especially with her focus on teaching dancers to embrace their killer side. That is highlighted by her being the inspiration for the spinoff, to begin with.

    The idea of Ballerina was formed around the scenes with Anjelica in John Wick 3. Anjelica Huston is an icon and is nothing less than Hollywood royalty. The world of Wick is always made richer by her commanding screen presence.

    Erica Lee

    While franchise building is all the rage at the moment, John Wick is in a unique position to make use of its rather simple but creative take on world-building. So, we’ll see if Ballerina manages to become a success and potentially even pulls in more interest to further explore other veterans that made this world their own.

    Source: THR

  • Ana de Arma’s ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Adds Keanu Reeves

    Ana de Arma’s ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Adds Keanu Reeves

    The John Wick franchise is continuing to grow, as not only are we getting a TV spinoff that explores the early days of the iconic hotel chain but also a female-led spinoff only known as Ballerina as of now. It’s unclear if this new cinematic franchise will receive an original naming to tie it all together, but it does seem like the franchise’s iconic star, Keanu Reeves, is set to join the production of the upcoming spinoff.

    Collider has shared the news that he’s already in Prague filming to return as the iconic character that kicked off a new franchise. He’ll be joined by the returning Ian McShane with Ana de Armas being attached as this spinoff’s main star. Len Wiseman is directing the production based on a screenplay by Shay Hatten. There’s no word if this story is set after any of the John Wick titles, or potentially explores the early days of the hitman’s time as Baba Yaga.

    It’s crazy to think that a simple concept would end up growing to become such a massive franchise. Even the small horror film A Quiet Place is continuing to grow with its first spinoff in the works. So, we’ll see just how big this franchise can go, especially if Ballerina and The Continental end up being successes. There are many more hitmen out there in this neo-noir world. So, there are also many more stories that could be told that would still fit within the story we were introduced to all the way back in 2014.

    Source: Collider

  • Ian McShane Joins ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Ian McShane Joins ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Lionsgate’s John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, has added Ian McShane to its cast. The news was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter with the outlet reporting McShane will reprise his role as Winston, the manager of the Continental. He will star opposite leading lady Ana de Armas. The film follows a young woman with killer skills who uses said skills to get revenge when her family is killed by hitmen and is set within the John Wick cinematic universe.

    McShane has appeared in every John Wick film to date as Winston and reprises the character once again in John Wick: Chapter 4. Outside of the John Wick universe, McShane has appeared in titles such as American Gods as Mr. Wednesday, Hellboy, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and the HBO series, Deadwood.

    The movie is being produced by John Wick director Chad Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk, and Erica Lee. The project is being overseen by Brady Fujikawa and Chelsea Kujawa for Lionsgate. Production on Ballerina is expected to kick off on Monday with Len Wiseman (Underworld) directing from a screenplay by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4). As of now, the film does not yet have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • Laurence Fishburne Thinks ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ is “Best One” Yet

    Laurence Fishburne Thinks ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ is “Best One” Yet

    It feels like it’s been ages since the last John Wick film hit theaters. The saga’s third chapter, Parabellum, was released to critical acclaim in 2019, but audiences won’t be able to see the movie’s sequel until March of 2023. John Wick: Chapter 4 was originally set to debut on May 21st, 2021, but was delayed nearly two years by the global COVID-19 pandemic and star Keanu Reeves’ prior commitments to The Matrix Resurrections. As a result, expectations for the fourthquel have never been higher. Luckily for fans, franchise staple Laurence Fishburne thinks the wait will be well worth it.

    Speaking to Variety on the red carpet for his newest project, The School For Good And Evil, the Hollywood icon revealed his opinion that the next John Wick is the best they’ve ever made. When asked what people should expect from Chapter 4, the actor responded:

    For me, I’ve gotta tell you. Honestly, when I read it, I was like, ‘This is the best one’. On the page, it just was. I mean, from the way that it opens, there are like three or four really incredible set pieces that are, just like, ‘Whoa!’. There’s new characters, one in particular that’s so much fun. Well, actually, three that are crazy fun. Yeah, and I got to be in it again. I come back from the dead.

    Laurence Fishburne

    Fishburne closed his statement with a reference to the last time viewers saw his character, The Bowery King. Parabellum ended with both the King and Reeves’ protagonist severely wounded, but ready to take revenge on those who wronged them. As for the “fun” new faces, Fishburne could be talking about Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, or Bill Skarsgård – all of whom are major stars making their Wick debuts in the film.

    John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release on March 24, 2023.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    NBCUniversal is slated to add another potential stalwart series to its young streaming service in Peacock. The Continental, which serves as a prequel series to the John Wick film franchise, is set to move from Lionsgate’s Starz to the NBCU streamer.

    This serves as a highly unconventional move in the streaming age in a developing property outright switching to a different distributor. It certainly is a large win for Peacock, who recently also acquired the film rights for Keanu Reeves-led John Wick. Meanwhile, this move is in line with the restructuring Starz has been in the process of recently focusing more on targeting female-demographic audiences.

    In an official statement about the acquisition, Peacock’s president Kelly Campbell spoke about the excitement of having the new series under the NBCU banner.

    The John Wick films have become a global phenomenon, are among the most watched titles on Peacock and we are thrilled and honored to partner with Lionsgate to extend this incredible franchise. We understand the value of a global franchise and Val Boreland (EVP and Head of Content Acquisitions for NBCUniversal) and team knew that by bringing this special event series to Peacock and putting the full power of NBCUniversal behind it, the premiere of The Continental will be the streaming event of the year.

    Kelly Campbell

    In addition, Kevin Beggs, the Lionsgate Television Group Chair, equally shared excitement for the partnership between the two groups to expand the John Wick franchise.

    John Wick has become part of the cultural zeitgeist with a massive, passionately engaged fan base around the world. We’re delighted to partner with Peacock to continue expanding the John Wick Universe. This agreement reflects the collaboration of our Motion Picture Group, which has grown the franchise from the beginning and was excited by the opportunity to bring it to the next level, Jim Packer (President of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution for Lionsgate) and his Worldwide Television Distribution team, which found the perfect home for The Continental, and the Lionsgate Television creative group, which created a brilliant and enduring property that is one of the most highly-anticipated streaming events of 2023.

    Kevin Beggs

    The Continental, which will follow the perspective of a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell in the series, and previously portrayed by Ian McShane in the films) as he navigates the criminal-filled underbelly of 1970s New York City at the titular hotel. The series is slated to release in 2023. Meanwhile, the franchise’s next theatrical release John Wick: Chapter Four is scheduled to release in theaters in March of 2023.

    Source: Deadline 

  • ‘John Wick’ Director Had Discussions With Marvel Studios to Tackle ‘Blade’

    ‘John Wick’ Director Had Discussions With Marvel Studios to Tackle ‘Blade’

    The John Wick franchise has been nothing but successful for Lionsgate and filmmaker Chad Stahelski. After spending years as a stunt coordinator and second unit director on various projects, Stahelski received his big break helming the Wick films, which launched him into stardom and helped rejuvenate Keanu Reeves’ career.

    Apparently, the series also earned Stahelski a meeting with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, whom he’d worked with before as the second unit on Captain America: Civil War, as stated by Stahelski during a recent interview with Comic Book. According to the director, Feige set up some time for a chat that meant a lot more than the producer might have realized:

    Marvel was very influential in my career. I owe them a great deal. Kevin [Feige] is an awesome guy and I’ve worked for him many times on second unit. After John Wick 3, he was nice enough to carve out a big chunk of time and have a nice talk. He’s been a…in a way…a very strong mentor, even though it was a short period of time. I’ve only talked to him a few times, but he has been very influential in mindset and how to do it.

    Chad Stahelski

    While the meeting seems to have been a general one, Stahelski revealed that Feige did inquire about signing him to a future project. Stahelski apparently only had one in mind:

    And he actually asked me, ‘What could we ever do?’ I was like, ‘Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know if I fit that kind of studio mold, but Blade would be the one interesting thing I’d like to do. I don’t know if I would’ve been the best choice for that in the direction they wanted to go. If you want to do the edgy rated R version, yeah, give me a call. If you want to be non-apologetic, yeah. That’s me. But I think they’re protecting their brand, they’re doing their thing. The individual they selected, I think is a very good director, and I think will do a great job in the direction that I think they want to take the property.

    Chad Stahelski

    Blade, which was announced in 2019 with Mahershala Ali attached to the starring role, is now set to be directed by Bassam Tariq and will release on November 3rd, 2023. The Mogul Mowgli creative will bring to life a script from Stacy Osei-Kuffour, with Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre having since joined the cast. Stahelski, on the other hand, is busy preparing for John Wick: Chapter 4 to drop on March 24th, 2023.

    He has yet to direct anything outside the John Wick franchise, but perhaps his meeting with Marvel Studios will open the door for something else down the line. After all, there is no shortage of opportunities in Marvel’s plans for the next decade.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Emerald Fennell Brought on to Rework Script for John Wick Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Emerald Fennell Brought on to Rework Script for John Wick Spinoff ‘Ballerina’

    Emerald Fennell, who wrote and directed Promising Young Woman, is sprucing up the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina. The news was revealed by the film’s star Ana de Armas during a recent interview for Elle magazine.

    The initial script for Ballerina was written by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum) and director Len Wiseman. However, upon being cast in Ballerina, de Armas sought to hire a female writer to tweak the script. “It was really important for me to hire a female writer, because to that point when I got involved in the project, it was only the director, Len Wiseman, and another guy. And I was like, ‘That’s not going to work.’ So I interviewed, like, five or six female writers. We hired Emerald Fennell, which I was so proud of,” the actress told Elle.

    For de Armas, it’s important that she’s closely involved behind the scenes during the process for Ballerina, which is why bringing in a female writer was vital. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Fennell will receive credit for her work on the script. As Variety states, that decision will ultimately be decided by the Writers Guild of America.

    Ballerina follows de Armas’ young female assassin as she seeks revenge against those that killed her family. As of this writing, further details regarding the film and its cast remain unknown. It is the second spinoff from the John Wick franchise, however, as Mel Gibson is set to star in the television series spinoff, The Continental, for Starz.

    Ballerina is yet another high-profile job for Fennell, who recently served as the showrunner on Killing Eve Season 2 and is set to pen a Zatanna film for DC and Warner Bros. – assuming that project is still in the works.

    Source: Variety

  • New CinemaCon Poster Offers First Look at ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

    New CinemaCon Poster Offers First Look at ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

    It’s been some time since the John Wick franchise grace the silver screen. The last entry of the revenge story hit theaters back in May of 2019 with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Of course, Keanu Reeves is set to reprise the role once again in John Wick: Chapter 4 but we’ve heard very little about the project. Luckily, a poster has found its way online offering our first look at the fourth entry.

    While it isn’t much, it is our first look at Reeve‘s return as Wick. He still has his trademark hair and beard, but he does seem a bit more disheveled from the last entry. Considering how that story ended, it’s no surprise that he might not have had time to visit a barber. This film and John Wick: Chapter 5 were originally set to film back-to-back but due to the ongoing pandemic those plans were abandoned by Lionsgate.

    Chapter 4 was originally intended to release next month but was delayed by an entire year for unknown reasons. It’s possible the studio wants to hold it so that the fifth film in the franchise has time to shoot so that they can release the films back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. Yet, we haven’t gotten an update on the production start on the fifth entry.

    Many details for the film such as plot and characters remain under wraps but the film will see the return of Reeves alongside Ian Mcshane, Lance Reddick, and Laurence Fishburne. The film has added quite a few names like Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, Rina Sawayama, and Shamier Anderson.

    Source: Twitter