He John Wick The universe is expanding, with a spin-off centered on fan-favorite blind assassin Caine beginning production next month, with Donnie Yen set to direct and reprise the role.
Caine’s untitled project, produced by Lionsgate, was first announced at CinemaCon last spring and will pick up where John Wick: Chapter 4 she left him, following Caine after he is released from his obligations to The High Table.
Rina Sawayama, who played Akira in Chapter 4, also returns alongside Yen.
The screenplay was written by Mattson Tomlin, whose recent credits include the upcoming Batman part II and the adaptation of the Keanu Reeves comic BRZRKRwith Michael McGrale also co-written.
the original John Wick The production team is back on board, including Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski, who produce through their company 87Eleven Entertainment.
Reeves and John Saunders will also produce, with Yen executive producing.
For Adam Fogelson, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, the choice of subject was obvious.
“It became clear later John Wick: Chapter 4 “That fans were particularly intrigued by Caine, which made his story the most natural next chapter for the franchise,” he said.
“It’s truly exciting to embark on a strategic partnership with Donnie; he has the vision to bring this extension of the John Wick universe to life in a way that is authentic to his own style, talent and experience as a filmmaker.”
Yen, who was born in Guangzhou, China and raised in Boston, is known for his action work in franchises including ip man, Star Wars: Rogue One and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.
He also brings a formidable directing resume to the project, with credits that include sakra and the prosecutorwhich has a 94 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.
His stunt choreography, a hallmark of his previous work, will feature prominently in Caine.
Yen has spoken about what attracted him to the character and the opportunity.
“What attracted me to Caine is the contradiction. He brings love, responsibility and sacrifice in a world built on consequences. That creates a very different type of action hero,” he said.
He described his ambitions for the film in broad terms, adding, “My goal is to create the most definitive martial arts action film ever made, one that honors what audiences love about John Wick while also bringing new emotional depth and visual language to the story.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 It remains the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, grossing over $447 million worldwide.
