Chad Stahelski, the director and creator of the John Wick franchise, has revealed that he plans to take a hiatus before starting on the next series installment.
The famous director started out in Tinseltown as a stuntman before collaborating with actor Keanu Reeves on the first John Wick movie in 2014.
After co-directing the first film with David Leitch, Stahelski took the reins as the sole maker for the three subsequent sequels following the box office triumph of the inaugural film.
In an interview with /Film, Stahelski talks about the future of the John Wick franchise as Chapter 4 is set to hit theaters. He expresses his belief that he should take a pause from the franchise before moving forward with Wick’s storyline.
Amidst all this, the director also reveals that he will not direct a fifth installment. Stahelski cites the need for a break as his reason. Read his comments below:
I tried to get better as a storyteller in this one, but I’d be the same guy jumping back into the next one. I’ve got to get better. Keanu’s out there every day getting better — he’s acting, he’s trying new projects. I’ve got to sit in a room and go, ‘Okay, how do I get better as a director?’ I don’t have the same choices. I can’t just direct, direct, direct. I’d have no time to expand. I just think I’d get s***tier and s***tier. I just think, in loyalty to the franchise, I need to get a hell of a lot better before I try to find [another story]. Because otherwise, if you’re not going to get better, if you’re not going to do something different, if you’re not going to try to expand and be artistically better, that’s kind of lame just to do it for a paycheck.
Chad Stahelski
Despite Stahelski’s absence, the John Wick franchise will broaden its horizons with Ana de Armas’ Ballerina.
Ballerina takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4 and follows the story of Rooney, who seeks vengeance against those responsible for her family’s death.
The returning cast includes Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston, with de Armas taking over the role previously played by Unity Phelan.
After working with the John Wick franchise for a long time, Stahelski is set on exploring his skills with new projects beyond the intense gun battles of the infamous hitman.
One such project is a movie adaptation of the famous 2020 PlayStation game Ghosts of Tsushima, which follows a samurai’s defense of Tsushima during the first Mongol invasion of Japan.
Additionally, Stahelski has expressed his plans to develop a reboot of the Highlander franchise centered around the epic battles between immortal warriors.
The upcoming movie, John Wick: Chapter 4, is creating a lot of buzzes and is one of the most eagerly awaited releases of 2023.
Although some fans may feel let down by the enormous gaps between the installments, we think that director Stahelski’s decision could be beneficial for the upcoming movies.
With the director exploring swordplay in future projects such as Ghosts of Tsushima and Highlander, the experience he gains from these endeavors could result in even more thrilling fight scenes in future films.
About John Wick : Chapter 4
John Wick 4 is an American neo-noir action thriller film and the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise. The franchise is created by Derek Kolstad and stars Keanu Reeves in the role of a retired legendary hitman John Wick.
John Wick must avoid run-ins with The High Table and survive long enough to complete his mission, along with the help of The Bowery King, who was left for dead by The High Table and now is helping John Wick take them down.
John Wick 4 released on March 24, 2023.
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