Animated ‘John Wick' Prequel in the Works From ‘Ultraman: Rising' Director, Keanu Reeves Expected to Return
'John Wick' will return – but perhaps not in the way that you'd expect. An animated 'John Wick' prequel is on the way from 'Ultraman: Rising' director Shannon Tindle. Keanu Reeves is expected to return to voice the character in the animated feature.
The announcement was made from the CinemaCon stage by Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
This animated 'John Wick' will recount the 'impossible task' that Wick had to complete to get out from under the High Table and marry his wife Helen (played in the films by Bridget Moynahan). It will be written by Vanessa Taylor, who was nominated for an Oscar for her work with Guillermo del Toro on 'The Shape of Water.'
The animated feature will be produced by Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, 87Eleven Entertainment's Chad Stahelski and Reeves. 87Eleven Entertainment's Alex Young and Jason Spitz will executive produce.
Tindle is coming off of the Annie-nominated Netflix film 'Ultraman: Rising,' which featured a beautiful art style that was inspired by the original series and Japanese manga and was brought to life with eye-popping animation from Industrial Light & Magic. Before that, he was the showrunner and executive producer of Netflix's Emmy-winning 'Lost Ollie.' He also created 'Kubo and the Two Strings' for Laika.
Lionsgate promised that the film will 'deliver highly stylized and defined action that 'John Wick' fans expect and will be aimed at more mature audiences,' meaning, yes, this will be rated-R like the live-action films.
Since 2014, there have been four 'John Wick' features. The latest, 'John Wick: Chapter 4,' came out in 2023 and made $440 million worldwide. A prequel streaming series 'The Continental' also premiered in 2023 and the first spinoff film, 'Ballerina,' is out on June 6. Another streaming series, a fifth mainline film and a spinoff centered around Donnie Yen's character are also in development.
Fogelson said, 'In both animation and the world of 'John Wick,' the possibilities are endless. 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.'
Stahelski added, 'I've always been fascinated with anime. It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the 'John Wick' series. To have the opportunity to develop a 'John Wick' anime seems to be the perfect progression for the 'John Wick' world. I feel 'John Wick' is the perfect property for this medium — anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters and our action in ways unimaginable before.'
Iwanyk and Lee said, 'Shannon has a breathtaking vision for a film we've all long wanted to make. Alongside Vanessa's story, we're hugely excited to bring it to audiences.'
No timetable for the movie has been revealed.
The post Animated 'John Wick' Prequel in the Works From 'Ultraman: Rising' Director, Keanu Reeves Expected to Return appeared first on TheWrap.
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