Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: John Wick

  • ‘John Wick 4’: Keanu Reeves to Face Off Against Marko Zaror

    ‘John Wick 4’: Keanu Reeves to Face Off Against Marko Zaror

    It looks like we finally know who the main antagonist will be for John Wick 4. We’ve seen a variety of castings over the course of a few weeks, which included legends like Donnie Yen. Yet, there was no confirmation on who exactly would be Wick’s main foil throughout the film. According to Deadline, Marko Zaror is in negotiations to join the film that started filming not too long ago. He would join a stellar cast that includes Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Lance Reddic, and many more.

    It will be based on a screenplay by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. We’ll find out what happened to Wick after he got betrayed by Winston and maps out his next vengeance. They won’t disclose which role Zaror has in the film, but the martial artist will offer an interesting adversary. He’s known for his work on Alita: Battle Angel, and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. Marvel fans might recognize him as Shaft from Marvel’s The Defenders.

    John Wick‘s use of choreography makes it stand out among many iconic action franchises. The combination of Reeve’s subtle performance and creative action has put the next installment on everyone’s radar as Wick continues to get screwed over. At his point, it makes you wonder if he’ll ever escape his life as Babayaga. The man wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet with the last memories of his wife. One fatal mistake set the man on a path of vengeance that seems almost endless at this point. We’ll see how long he can pull it through moving forward.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’s Hiroyuki Sanada Joins ‘John Wick 4’

    ‘Mortal Kombat’s Hiroyuki Sanada Joins ‘John Wick 4’

    The next installment of John Wick has been adding name after name and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. In a report from collider, Army of the Dead and Mortal Kombat star Hiroyuki Sanada is the next to join. Not much is known about Sanada’s character. all we know is that he’ll go by the name Watanabe, which confirms earlier reports about a character that was teased by writer Michael Finch. Sanada will join a sprawling cast of stars, which includes Rina Sawayama, Bill Skarsgard, Shamier Anderson, and Donnie Yen.

    The fourth installment in the Wick franchise will begin filming this summer in France, Japan, and Germany. Chad Stahelski takes over as director and will produce alongside Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. Keanu Reeves will serve on the project as executive producer alongside Louise Rosner. Michael Finch and Shay Hatten, who previously worked on Army of The Dead, wrote the script for the upcoming film. Stahelski shared his enthusiasm on the casting of Sanada:

    Having long admired Hiroyuki as both actor and action performer, I’m thrilled and honored to welcome him to the John Wick family.

    The actor is currently set to star in David Leitch’s upcoming action-thriller Bullet Train, who originally directed the first three installments in the Wick Franchise. This will be the first film in the franchise without David Leitch directing and Derek Kolstad writing on the project, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the franchise going forward. The cast certainly seems promising, as they continue to add one iconic action star after another. If John Wick is known for anything, it is certainly stellar action sequences and it looks like we can expect more of that in the fourth entry.

    Source: Collider

  • UPDATE: ‘BLADE’ Star Wesley Snipes No Longer In Talks For ‘JOHN WICK 4’

    UPDATE: ‘BLADE’ Star Wesley Snipes No Longer In Talks For ‘JOHN WICK 4’

    UPDATE: It seems that there was some truth to the Wesley Snipes rumors. Sadly, it also looks like negotiations didn’t end well, as Borys Kit took to Twitter to reveal that while there were discussions between the actor and Lionsgate, it didn#t work out in the end.

     

     

    Source: Twitter

     

    The John Wick franchise is adding an action legend to its already impressive cast. According to a new report from The Illuminerdi, Wesley Snipes is currently in negotiations to join the tentatively titled John Wick 4. The actor, who is best known for his starring role as Eric Brooks in the original Blade trilogy, supposedly will play a supporting role in the upcoming sequel as an experienced swordsman. He would join an ensemble that is rumored to include the fellow legend, and Rogue One standout, Donnie Yen. He’ll play an old friend of Keanu Reeves’ titular character. Bill Skarsgard, of It fame, Laurence Fishburne, and pop star Rina Sawayama are also set to play roles in the film.

    An appearance in John Wick 4 would mark Snipes’ return to big-budget action flicks, with the actor’s legal troubles keeping him away from the spotlight for quite some time. He has not participated in a project of this magnitude since 2014’s The Expendables 3. Nevertheless, the past couple of years, and a friendship with Eddie Murphy, have helped the once mega-star make a comeback, as he had supporting roles in both Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America. 

    If this rumor turns out to be true, Snipes will find himself working with one of modern cinema’s best action directors in Chad Stahelski, who returns to the Wick franchise for the fourth time. Long-time series writer Derek Kolstad will not come back for the latest entry, and will instead be replaced by the capable duo of Michael Finch and Shay Hatten.

    Source: The Illuminerdi

  • Laurence Fishburne Confirms Return in ‘John Wick 4’

    Laurence Fishburne Confirms Return in ‘John Wick 4’

    It looks like a familiar face is making a return to John Wick 4, as Laurence Fishburne confirmed his return in an interview with Collider. He will once again play the role of The Bowery King after playing an integral part in the last entry of the franchise. He is joining an already stacked cast that consists of Shamier Anderson, Donnie Yen, Rina Sawayama, and Bill Skarsgard. He already confirmed that he’ll join the production in the next few months in Berlin. Of course, the actor couldn’t reveal any details about the plot but did offer some high praise for Michael Finch‘s script. He is taking over script duties from series creator Derek Kolstad.

    I read the script. It’s really, really cool. As much as it’s the same world as the other three films, it’s just deeper. It’s much deeper in terms of the code of the assassin and the relationship that he has with one character in particular who I think Mr. Watanabe is playing… is really the heart and soul of it.

    It’s quite interesting that he highlights Watanabe’s character. Of course, most people think he might be referencing Godzilla‘s Ken Watanabe, but it turns out he is actually referencing a character from the upcoming film. The film is slated to also head to Japan at one point. So, perhaps they are trying to keep his involvement under wraps. For now, it certainly will be something we’ll keep an eye out for once the first set of photos find their way online. No matter what, it’s great to know Fishburne is returning. Here’s hoping we get some news on Ian McShane‘s return soon.

    Source: Collider

  • Bill Skarsgard in Talks to Join ‘John Wick 4’

    Bill Skarsgard in Talks to Join ‘John Wick 4’

    It looks like the upcoming fourth entry in the John Wick franchise is continuing to expand, as The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Bill Skarsgard is currently in talks to join the fourth entry of the Keanu Reeves franchise. It’s another major addition after recent reports revealed that the film is also adding IP Man’s Donnie Yen as an old friend of Wick’s. The film’s plot still remains tightly under wraps but will be based on a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. The announcement didn’t come in their usual article but through a video on Twitter.

    We’re generally seeing an expansion of the John Wick franchise, as the team is already working on a TV series that explores the origin stories behind the famous Continental hotel. It’s uncertain if they might also be eyeing to expand with other new stories exploring the backstories of the various hitmen we meet along the way. There’s a lot of potentials to play around with, as John Wick introduced us to a variety of assassins that have their own interesting backstory with our titular hero.

    Source: Twitter

  • Shamier Anderson Joins ‘John Wick 4’ In Undisclosed Role

    Shamier Anderson Joins ‘John Wick 4’ In Undisclosed Role

    It looks like the cast of John Wick 4 is continuing to grow. Right after they cast IP Man‘s Donnie Yen, the upcoming fourth entry in the Keanu Reeves-led project has added Shamier Anderson in an undisclosed role. Anderson has worked on a variety of projects that include Stowaway, City of Lifes, as well as Syfy’s Wynonna Earp. He also was an important part of forming Canada’s first Black-owned venture capital firm, Bay Mills investment Group. The film’s plot still remains under wraps, but they are eyeing a worldwide production that starts this summer. The film will film in France, Germany, and Japan as Wick takes on the world. Rina Sawayama was cast as the film’s female lead and it will be interesting to see how all the pieces come together.

    Overall, John Wick is a fascinating franchise that started as a small indie project that continued to balloon in success with each entry. It was also the grand return of Keanu Reeves in a titular role. It’s also the aesthetic and worldbuilding that makes this franchise so fascinating standing tall alongside big-budget films. It doesn’t require a CGI backdrop of unfamiliar buildings and structures to make us believe there is a world we know little about. The structure of the Continental hotel chain, the way it showcases assassins living in a completely unique world that is hidden from the everyday person makes it a must-watch franchise for any action fan out there. Here’s hoping we find out what the future holds in the near future once more actors and actresses join the project.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘John Wick 4’ Adds ‘IP Man’s Donnie Yen

    ‘John Wick 4’ Adds ‘IP Man’s Donnie Yen

    The John Wick franchise seems to be expanding as the fourth entry is slowly getting ready for production. Deadline has just revealed that IP Man‘s Donnie Yen has joined the production in an undisclosed role. His addition is a great sign that we’ll get a lot more hand-to-hand combat in the sequel. He will play an old friend of Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick who shares some of the same enemies. It looks like Wick will once again pull in some favors to survive the onslaught that awaits him in the upcoming sequel. Producer Basil Iwanyk shared his enthusiasm over Yen joining the franchise:

    Donnie Yen will bring a vibrant and powerful energy to the franchise. We were determined to bring him on board to John Wick 4 and are thrilled for the opportunity to have such a major talent to collaborate with Keanu.

    The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski and is based on a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. It is currently eyeing a Summer production start. In general, the franchise is also starting to expand with an official spin-off series titled The Continental in development. We got our first look into its story when the first plot details found their way online around a month ago. It is still uncertain how far into pre-production the project currently is. Whatever the future may hold, we know there will be a lot more John Wick in our future.

    Source: Deadline

  • First Plot Details for ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘The Continental’ Revealed

    First Plot Details for ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘The Continental’ Revealed

    Keanu Reeves returned to cinemas in style when he took on the role of John Wick. The character became a household name, and the franchise continues to expand. Lionsgate is developing a spin-off series that will focus on the mercenary hotspot, The Continental. In 2019, Ian McShane confirmed that he’s not returning as Winston. He’s the owner of the hotel chain, which made it a curious reveal. It made many questions about which approach they’ll take. Well, it looks like Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs finally offered some insight as the spin-off is a prequel.

    What we’re exploring in The Continental is the young Winston and how it came to be that he and his team of confederates found their way into this hotel which we have met for the first time in the movie franchise 40 years later. That’s the arena. I won’t give away more than that, but Starz really leaned into this take also, and they have been great collaborators. And how we’ve approached this first season is as three essentially 90-minute events, which you could construe as a limited series or a limited event series.

    It seems they had a variety of pitches before they decided they wanted to explore a 1970s New York City. Beggs also revealed that Reeves won’t appear in the series, but he will join the project as an executive producer. The backdrop and origin story of the iconic hotel does offer a unique direction. It looks like it might not run for multiple seasons but rather be a limited series built up similarly to Sherlock. It’ll be interesting to see how they expand the Wick-verse moving forward.

    Source: SlashFilm (McShane), SlashFilm (Prequel)