MOVIE NEWS – The John Wick universe is clearly far from finished. Lionsgate has confirmed that work on a fifth main installment is progressing, but before Keanu Reeves returns in another full chapter, the franchise will expand through two other films. The first is a Caine-focused spin-off led by Donnie Yen, while the second is an animated prequel that will explore John Wick’s past before the events audiences already know.
According to the latest reports, John Wick 5 finally has the kind of central idea that could justify its existence. Adam Fogelson, one of Lionsgate’s top executives, told Business Insider that Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski have found a concept they consider genuinely exciting. That matters because both men have made it clear for years that they did not want to continue the saga just to keep the brand alive. After the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, the series reached a point where a routine sequel would have felt like creative autopilot.
Lionsgate now seems determined not to rush that comeback. Instead of forcing Wick back onto the screen immediately, the studio is trying to make sure the next chapter has a real reason to exist. That approach makes sense, because the fourth film did not just raise the bar in terms of action and scale. It also pushed the story to a place where simply repeating the formula would not be enough. So the studio’s current strategy is less about hurrying toward another sequel and more about building a broader next phase around it.
The Next Step Will Be Caine and an Animated Prequel
The first major piece of that plan is the Caine spin-off, which is already in production. Donnie Yen’s blind assassin was one of the strongest additions in John Wick: Chapter 4, so it is hardly surprising that Lionsgate wants to build one of its next films around him. The more interesting twist is that Yen will not only return as the lead, but will also direct the film himself. That gives the project a stronger identity from the outset and suggests Lionsgate sees it as more than a side dish to the main series.
The other stop before John Wick 5 will be an animated prequel focused on the period when John Wick left behind his life as an assassin. Until now, that part of the mythology has existed mostly through hints and fragments, so the animated format offers a chance to explore it more freely. It also reinforces the idea that Lionsgate is no longer treating John Wick as a simple single-hero franchise. The studio is openly building it into a larger action universe that can sustain different tones, different formats, and different kinds of stories.
That broader strategy becomes even more important when considering Chad Stahelski’s earlier comments that the High Table storyline is effectively complete. In other words, the fifth film cannot simply pick up where the old conflict left off and pretend nothing changed. These two interim projects therefore serve a double purpose. They keep the audience invested, but they also give the franchise room to test new ideas before the next main installment arrives. In that sense, the message is clear: John Wick may not be back immediately, but the saga is very much alive.
Sources: 3DJuegos, Business Insider, Deadline
