The John Wick franchise has been a revolutionary force in the world of action-thriller cinema for just over a decade. When the debut film was released, Keanu Reeves was already an action superstar, though after the conclusion of The Matrix trilogy, subsequent action movies failed to replicate the heights of that sci-fi spectacle. While the narrative of John Wick didn’t reinvent the wheel, it was developed by stunt performers Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad, whose inherent familiarity with the genre elevated the hand-to-hand combat to impressive heights.
With each subsequent movie, the bar was pushed higher, while the franchise itself grew more popular and more successful, even resulting in spin-off projects. In 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4, though, Reeves’ Wick was seemingly killed off for good.
Lionsgate confirmed today, per Deadline, that it has given the green light to an animated prequel, in which Reeves will return to the saga to voice his character. The project was initially announced back in 2025, though few details have emerged since then, with today’s update giving the project more significant momentum.
Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising, Kubo and the Two Strings) will direct from a script by Ryan & Kaz Firpo. The outlet details that the film “will go back in time to tell the story of John Wick before the first film, as he completes the Impossible Task in order to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen.”
The first spin-off in the series was the prequel miniseries The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which pivoted away from Wick to explore Winston Scott and the development of the hotels that serve as safe havens for assassins. In 2025, we got the big-screen spin-off Ballerina: From the World of John Wick, in which Ana de Armas stars as a hitman aiming to get revenge for the death of her father. Reeves reprised his role for the film, which took place earlier in the franchise’s timeline.
Neither of these projects reached the same heights of success as the core John Wick franchise, which had many fans speculating about whether this prequel would ever come to fruition. News of this prequel officially moving forward will alleviate the apprehension among fans.
“In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless,” Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson said in a statement when the animated prequel was first announced. “And there is no John Wick story fans are clamoring for more than the Impossible Task. Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
The untitled animated John Wick prequel doesn’t yet have a release date. When this project was first announced in 2025, Reeves was also announced as returning for a fifth live-action installment, though there is no word on the status of that project.
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