John Wick has stopped running. The chase is now on. Following the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, the slick-suited assassin played in iconic fashion by Keanu Reeves is tired of being hunted, and has become the hunter, taking on The High Table, the underworld authority which dictates "the rules" of the world in which he operates.
Director Chad Stahelski has been revealing some new information about the latest in the John Wick series, with John Wick: Chapter 4 set to send the series globe-trotting once more. Following a sojourn in Morocco, Chapter 4 sends the titular anti-hero sprawling further across the world to exotic and thrilling locations including Berlin, Paris and - to the delight of the man behind the camera - Osaka, Japan.
Speaking with Total Film, Stahelski admits that Wick's behaviour does carry with it consequences - and that includes what will happen to those closest to him. How can an assassin with tunnel vision deal with trauma to those he loves?
“John comes to terms with how what he does affects people that he cares about," said Stahelski. "There’s always got to be consequences for your actions. And in this, we’re starting to see that John understands what the consequences are. Not that it curbs him in any way."
Elaborating further on the globe-trotting element of the film, Stahelski revealed both his excitement and his inspiration behind taking the series to the Far East, and offering a tantalizing crumb of a showdown between Reeves and Donnie Yen, the legendary Chinese martial artist who has been cast as one of many, many opponents for Wick to both brutalize, and from which to be brutalized.
I’m a huge fan of Chambara films – sword-fighting films, samurai films – from Harakiri to Seven Samurai I can literally name off all 26 episodes of Zatoichi plus the TV shows! So, obviously, that’s a huge influence. This one has a very Japanese theme to it. It’s about a certain code, whether it’s friendship or the art of living. Even though everyone in the movie is a bad guy, there’s a code. And yes, I would say [Keanu and Donnie] will have their moment.
Chapter 4 undoubtedly carries with it an Asian-focused taste, as joining Yen in the film will be Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, and Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama, making her big-screen debut as a fighter named Akira.
Reeves will also reprise his role as John Wick in next year's Ballerina, a spin-off set between Parabellum and Chapter 4, which will be led by Ana de Armas.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is released on March 24, 2023. Check out our conversation with Stahelski about Chapter 4 down below.