John Wick director Chad Stahelski has given a development update on the status of The John Wick franchise has grossed $1 billion collectively, and its success has fueled rumors of John Wick 5.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski gives his views on the future of the franchise, including an update that John Wick 5 is in development. The stuntman-turned-director, who was Reeves' stunt double in The Matrix, also reveals that he doesn’t know what the movie would be about, but that it will be different from what people think. He also states that although "there's no topping what we did" on John Wick 4, he remains excited and optimistic for the future of the franchise. Check out Stahelski’s full quotes below:

I was surprised, yet not surprised, about the development of John Wick 5. John Wick: Chapter 4 just felt like it was a perfect ending for John, and the test audiences, as you explained to me, preferred the more definitive version of that ending. John even saved a dog in a full-circle moment. So how do you write a better ending than that?

The honest truth is you don’t. You simply don’t. There’s no topping what we did. That’s the end. That’s the deal. That’s what we found closure for. Look, sometimes, we’ll keep things in development. My creative team and I can’t stop thinking about Wick. Sometimes, we’ll use development as an exercise, but is there an opportunity to do [John Wick 5]? Of course, there is, whether it’s for money or for creativity.

Of course, there’s an opportunity, but it keeps us thinking. Jesus, in the last three years, I’ve already had three or four versions of a John Wick 5. They were different ways to crack the story, but it’s almost a mental exercise for me.

In our industry, you’ll always hear of “active development.” They’ll say, “That’s in active development,” and yes, it is — if you count me sitting around bullshitting with Keanu or writing with Mike Finch or my partner Alex. We’re writing things and coming up with great sequences, and that’s a great exercise that we pilfer from and use.

So we have some really good ideas, and it would not be part of that [John Wick: Chapter 4] storyline. It would not be what you would think it is. If we could ever crack it to where Keanu and I thought it was a great idea and it didn’t feel like a cheese-out, then that’s great. But as far as [John Wick: Chapter 4], we’ve peaked. At least I have. That’s my apex. We ended it.

It’s a complete story. I watch it now, and I feel very happy about it, but we wouldn’t try to outdo it. We wouldn’t try to add on to that. It’d have to be a completely different storyline.

What Stahelski’s Comments Mean For John Wick 5

The Franchise Reached A Natural End With John Wick 4, But Another Sequel Seems Likely

The franchise appeared to reach a pretty definitive conclusion in the last installment, as John Wick 4 appeared to show the titular hero succumbing to his wounds after a fight with Caine. However, Stahelski’s comments suggest that John Wick 5 is in active development, and this is bound to be great news for audiences. What remains unclear is the direction the film might take, with John’s story reaching a natural end. Stahelski’s reveal that there have already been three or four versions of a proposed sequel illustrates the challenge that the creative team behind the franchise could face.

The appetite for stories from the John Wick universe appears to be as large as ever, with the Ballerina spinoff movie slated for a 2025 release, and an additional spinoff focused on Caine also believed to be in development. It seems that if John Wick 5 does happen, the movie might take a completely different direction, and it’s unclear if Stahelski would even be involved in future John Wick projects.

Our Verdict On What John Wick 5 Might Be About

There Are A Couple Of Avenues The Movie Could Take

At this stage nothing has been officially confirmed regarding John Wick 5, and story deals are yet to be ironed out. I think it would be fun to base it around the original script for the movie, which had the character of Wick being in his 60s, but this would mean either recasting, waiting until Reeves is the appropriate age, or aging him artificially. Another direction John Wick 5 might take is to cover John’s early years as an assassin, and his marriage to Helen, which is the central pillar of John’s story.

Source: THR