As a seasoned gamer and ardent follower of the John Wick saga, I must say that the announcement of an anime prequel has sent my adrenaline soaring! The prospect of delving deeper into the life of John Wick, especially focusing on the “impossible task” that set his career as a relentless assassin in motion, is nothing short of exhilarating.
While production moves forward on “John Wick: Chapter 5”, it’s important to note that the conclusion of “Chapter 4” seemed to wrap up the story centered around Keanu Reeves‘ character effectively. Yet, this doesn’t signal the end of the vibrant assassin world, as upcoming projects like the Ana de Armas-starring film “Ballerina” and the TV series “Under the High Table” promise to expand this lore. Furthermore, a prequel movie is in development that will once again focus on John Wick, and I’m eagerly awaiting the era of his life it will explore.
To mark the 10-year anniversary since the debut of the first John Wick film, director Chad Stahelski (who jointly directed the 2014 movie with David Leitch and then helmed the subsequent three solo) had a chat with The Hollywood Reporter. During this discussion, he touched on the history, current state, and future plans for this franchise. One intriguing tidbit mentioned was a potential “feature anime” focusing on John Wick, set before the movie events. When asked if it would delve into the “impossible mission” that John undertook prior to leaving assassin life behind to marry his wife, Stahelski confirmed:
You’re not far off the mark, but these films are filled with lively entertainment. They’re designed to be enjoyable. Unlike some prequels and sequels in other series, they aren’t constructed in that manner. Instead, our goal is simply to have fun. We aim to create a sense of fun within the John Wick universe. However, we’ve reached the conclusion for this story arc with John Wick: Chapter 4, so let’s explore a different format or medium instead.
It seems the anime prequel might hint at or even delve into John Wick’s infamous task – the night he had to eliminate all of crime lord Viggo Tarasov’s enemies. To retire as an assassin, John was required to complete this seemingly impossible mission. He managed with the assistance of Santino D’Antonio, who granted help in exchange for a marker that could be used for a future favor. This situation eventually led to the events unfolding in “John Wick: Chapter 2”.
In the span of his four films, John Wick accumulated an immense number of kills, leaving a body count that’s almost mythical, as hinted by the scant details about the supposed impossible mission. Although a part of me yearns for this story to remain shrouded in mystery, I find myself drawn to the idea of it being unfolded on the big screen, particularly in an animated format instead of live action. This approach would allow for more vibrant and fantastical action scenes, which seems fitting for the animated genre.
Starting in 2023, the John Wick universe ventured beyond its movie series with the limited show The Continual, available via Peacock subscription. Additionally, an anime prequel, Ballerina, and Under the High Table are also part of this expansion. In development is a spinoff film focusing on Donnie Yen’s character Caine, and Halle Berry has shown interest in reprising her role for a possible Sofia spinoff, though it would need to happen promptly. We’ll return to this universe when Ballerina premieres on June 6, scheduled for release in 2025.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-23 04:08