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Tag: John Wick

  • Don’t Expect Halle Berry in ‘John Wick 4’ But Maybe a Spinoff

    Don’t Expect Halle Berry in ‘John Wick 4’ But Maybe a Spinoff

    The cast of Keanu Reeves‘ next big movie, John Wick: Chapter 4, is set to be quite the ensemble. Unfortunately, it seems that Hollywood icon Halle Berry will not be among the returning stars, as while promoting Moonfall, she confirms that she won’t make an appearance in the highly-anticipated action sequel. Berry previously portrayed Sofia Al-Azwar in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, an old ally of the title character, who assists him after his fall from grace with the High Table. The veteran dog-loving killer, who is also the manager of Casablanca’s Continental Hotel, was a highlight in a film packed with standout moments.

    While fans are sure to be disappointed with her absence from the next franchise installment, they shouldn’t count on never seeing Berry in the role again. When asked about her involvement with the future of the Wick series, the former Catwoman star had some intriguing things to say:

    Sofia’s not in the next John Wick movie. There could possibly be a Sofia…her own movie. So she might not be in John Wick, but she might be doing her own thingy-thingy.

    Halle Berry

    Berry went on to compare the potential spin-off to “ointment on a little sore“, referencing a canceled James Bond spin-off that was to feature Jinx, her one-time Bond Girl, in the lead role. If a Sofia-centric film were to happen, it would not be the first offshoot of the Wick movies we see. A female-led action film set in the same universe, tentatively titled Ballerina, has been in production since 2017, with Ana de Armas playing the main character. Mel Gibson is also signed on to play the lead in a canon television series called The Continental, which will dive deeper into the roots of the titular hotel.

    Source: IGN

  • ‘John Wick Chapter 4’ Release Delayed Until 2023

    ‘John Wick Chapter 4’ Release Delayed Until 2023

    In a move meant to avoid competing at the box office with Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel, John Wick Chapter 4 has moved out of 2022 entirely. Originally set for a Memorial Day 2022 release, the fourth film in the franchise is now slated for a March 24, 2023 bow. The news was revealed in a teaser that was unexpectedly released on social media today.

    The film, helmed by returning director Chad Stahelski, recently completed principal photography and now, as is the case with many films, will spend a significant amount of time in post-production. The franchise has been incredibly successful and has now spawned both a spinoff film and streaming series.

  • ‘John Wick’s Derek Kolstad to Adapt ‘Battle Chasers’ as a TV Series

    ‘John Wick’s Derek Kolstad to Adapt ‘Battle Chasers’ as a TV Series

    The series Battle Chasers made its mark in comic history by outselling Marvel and DC as an independent comic. Now, it’s finally making its way to television as part of a deal in which Alcon Television picked up the rights. Joe Madureira’s comics will be brought to life by Derek Kolstadt who famously created John Wick and recently worked on Falcon and the Winter Soldier for Marvel Studios.

    Alcon’s CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove will take an active role with the project as executive producers alongside Adrian Askarieh, who famously produced the Hitman series. Ben Roberts, from Alcon TV will take on a producer role. The story is about Gully, a 9-year-old girl, who ends up in an unlikely crew to fight villains as she searches for her father.

    As pointed out by The Hollywood Reporter, the original series ran from 1998 to 2001 after Madueriera made a name for himself on his work with Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men. It outsold both publishers but once he fell behind schedule, he had a hard time catching up again until the video game adaptation Battle Chasers: Nightwar made up for it.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • John Wick Prequel ‘The Continental’ Adds 3 to Cast

    John Wick Prequel ‘The Continental’ Adds 3 to Cast

    The John Wick series has been a critical and commercial success, with a collective haul of $587 million and critics raving about the action and star Keanu Reeves‘ performance. As is the case in Hollywood, if a title is popular, it often leads to spinoffs and sequels. Not only is John Wick 4 happening, but the John Wick series is also getting a spinoff on the small screen.

    A spinoff focusing on the Continental, the famous Hotel for Assassins, was announced in 2018. Since then, news on the project has been rather sparse until last month when it was revealed Mel Gibson would star in the three-episode miniseries. Gibson will play a character named Cormac, who is notably not the younger Winston Scott (Ian McShane‘s character in the films) that the miniseries will follow. While we await the casting of our protagonist, we do have news today of three new roles that have been filled. 

    Thanks to Variety, we have learned that Peter Greene, Ayomide Adegun and Jeremy Bobb have joined the cast with the aforementioned Gibson. Greene will play Uncle Charlie, who is the younger version of the character as played David Patrick Kelley in the films. He’s a cleaner and a body man, as fans of the films know.

    Adegun will play the younger version of Lance Reddick‘s character Charon, who is the concierge of the Continental Hotel in the films. While Jeremy Bobb is joining the series as an original character named Mayhew. The 40 year old actor is best known for playing Herman Barrow in The Knick.

    The cast is starting to shape up, as we await news on who is filling the shoes of a young Ian McShane. We’ll have more as we learn more.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘John Wick 4’ Title Revealed as Production Wraps

    ‘John Wick 4’ Title Revealed as Production Wraps

    The next installment in the John Wick franchise is set to hit theaters next Summer and it looks like it’ll take the Boogeyman and The Bowery King on an international adventure as they take on the High Table following the events of Parabellum. Actor Shamier Anderson has joined the fun for the fourth film and took to Instagram last night to indicate that filming, which began in late June, has wrapped and, in doing so, may have unveiled the subtitle of the film.

    It looks like Chapter 4 of the John Wick franchise will be subtitled “Hagakure.” A little research shows that Hagakure is the title of an 18th century collection of thoughts on the way of the Samurai. It is described as a “practical and spiritual guide for a warrior drawn from a collection of the commentaries by the clerk Yamamoto Tsunetomo”, who served the daimyo Nabeshima Mitsushige in the early 1700s. Excerpts from the book appeared on screen in Forest Whitaker’s 1999 film, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

    While there’s been no official confirmation about the title, it’s certainly a fitting one given what’s been established about Wick over the course of the first 3 films. The sequel will see the aforementioned return of Laurence Fishburne and feature Donny Yen and Shamier Anderson as well asHiroyuki Sanada and Clancy Brown. John Wick Chapter 4 will hit theaters May 27, 2022.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Eyeing Ana De Armas

    ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Eyeing Ana De Armas

    As John Wick is filming its fourth entry with an all-star cast, Lionsgate is ready to start rolling out its upcoming spinoffs. We’ve heard the news about a three-episode miniseries focused on the beginnings of the Continental hotel, but it’s not the only one. Deadline is now reporting that Knives Out and No Time to Die star Ana De Armas is currently being eyed to play a young female assassin in a spinoff titled Ballerina. The character was briefly hinted at in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and will act as a jumping-off point for the new entry as she hunts down the people that killed her family.

    Lionsgate already has Underworld’s Len Wiseman aboard to direct with a script from Shay Hatten. He wrote up the previously-mentioned Parabellum as well as Zack Snyder‘s Army of the Dead. Long-time John Wick producers Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski are also returning for the spinoff. There even seems to be some hope that Keanu Reeves might have a cameo alongside Anjelica Huston.

    De Armas has been building up quite the reputation with larger tentpole projects, as she’ll also appear in the Russo brothers’ upcoming Netflix film, The Gray Man, as well as the Marilyn Monroe film, Blonde. So, it was only a matter of time before she spearheaded her own action film, especially hot off the heels of her appearance in No Time To Die.

    Source: Deadline

  • Mel Gibson To Star in ‘John Wick’ Spin-off ‘The Continental’

    Mel Gibson To Star in ‘John Wick’ Spin-off ‘The Continental’

    John Wick is one of those rare original IPs in the past 10 years to have actual longevity. What started as a return to form for star Keanu Reeves in 2014 is now a highly successful action franchise with content beyond the theatrical films. The Continental is one of those, a long-reported spinoff centering on the fabled hotel that houses assassins from the film. Deadline is reporting that that project is finally happening as a three-night special event TV with none other than Mel Gibson as its lead.

    The Continental will explore the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, which increasingly has become the centerpiece of the John Wick universe. This will be accomplished through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals. No word yet on who’ll play Winston Scott (the hotel owner is played in the films by Ian McShane).

    Gibson has long been recognized for his work on iconic action films such as the Lethal Weapon franchise. No word yet on who Gibson is portraying other than his character name, Cormac. The Continental also marks Gibson’s first foray into TV in decades, having gotten his start on Australian television in the 70s.

    Source: Deadline

  • Clancy Brown Joins ‘John Wick 4’

    Clancy Brown Joins ‘John Wick 4’

    The cast of John Wick: Chapter 4 just keeps impressing. Deadline is reporting that veteran cool guy Clancy Brown has been added to the cast of the upcoming fourth entry. It’s unknown who the actor will play, but he will join a group that already consists of Donnie Yen, Lance Reddick, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ian McShane, and Rina Sawayama. Of course, Keanu Reeves will return as the titular assassin. The film’s director, Chad Stahelski, provided some commentary on the casting:

    I have been a fan of Clancy Brown’s since I can remember. To have him be a part of this project is an honor. He will make a perfect addition to the World of John Wick!

    Brown is best known for his supporting roles in a long list of films like Starship Troopers, Highlander, and The Shawshank Redemption. However, he’s probably most iconic for his extensive body of voice acting credentials. The character actor is celebrated for his performances as Mr. Krabs on Spongebob Squarepants, Lex Luthor on Superman: The Animated Series, and Savage Opress on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Recently, he voiced Surtur in Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok.

    John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to follow up on a wildly successful action trilogy from Lionsgate. The ending of the last film, Parabellum, saw our hero at the lowest point of his life, but it seems likely the next chapter will show Wick coming back with a vengeance (again). The film was written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, and has been filming in multiple countries, such as Japan, Germany, and France.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • REPORT: ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘The Continental’ To Feature Familiar Faces and Family Drama

    REPORT: ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘The Continental’ To Feature Familiar Faces and Family Drama

    The Continental will finally enter production with director Albert Hughes on board. Instead of an ongoing series, it’ll be a three-episode event that explores the history of a young Winston at the iconic hotel of the John Wick series. There has been no casting yet, but the Illuminerdi may have gotten their hands on some details regarding the show’s cast. It confirms that young Winston won’t be alone, as Charon, the famous concierge of the Continental, also has a role in the series. Still, some other characters may hint at the overarching story.

    In a world full of hitmen, it isn’t too surprising that some new faces from the underworld will join the show. There’s mention of a Vietnam War veteran and his sister who run their father’s dojo and are gun runners. There’s also the mob boss Cormack. He will work closely with Winston’s brother, Frankie, and his Vietnamese wife, Yen. We’ll also meet Winston’s investor’s Mr. and Mrs. Davonport. There’s also the mention of the cleaner Charlie. He will act as a mentor for Winston and his brother.

    The big highlight is that the show will reveal a mysteriously dark past of Winston throughout the series run. As we never meet his family, their future might be part of it. There’s a hint that Frankie’s actions will put his brother and wife’s life at risk. So, it won’t be easy for him to leave the mob life. It’ll be curious to see if we get a brief glimpse or hint at John Wick’s past in the show. Outside of this Baba Yaga name, we know very little about his past. Perhaps Winston is keeping some secrets very close to the chest.

    Source: Illuminerdi, SlashFilm

  • ‘John Wick’ Prequel ‘The Continental’ Taking a ‘Sherlock’ Episode Structure Approach

    ‘John Wick’ Prequel ‘The Continental’ Taking a ‘Sherlock’ Episode Structure Approach

    It looks like we finally got some information on the long-awaited John Wick spin-off, The Continental. While story tidbits remain tightly under wraps, Hollywood Reporoters’ Heat Vision revealed that Albert Hughes, one half behind Menace II Society and The Book of Eli, will direct three episodes. The series will only consist of those three episodes, as they will get a movie budget and length. The article also confirms that it will be a limited series. So, we shouldn’t expect any future seasons.

    This reveal is quite interesting, as it is taking the same direction that the famous BBC Sherlock series did. It ran from 2010 until 2017, with each season consisting of three episodes that were individual cases loosely connected. Unlike Continental, it ran for four seasons and even had a special Christmas episode in 2016. The shortened episode count allows for some creative ways to tackle stories, and the spin-off will primarily act as a prequel to the Keanu Reeves’ led franchise.

    So, this could imply that the limited run will include three unique stories that might tie into the overarching world of this franchise. We did get glimpses into how the Continental hotels work through the films but probably only scratched the surface. There is a chance that Winston might be the focal point before he became the man we know from the films. Hopefully, we’ll get more hints at the story direction and how it connects to the John Wick franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb