Director Chad Stahelski revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the “John Wick” anime is in full development. The project will explore a pivotal period in John's life, focusing on the legendary quest that allowed him to “retire” for love, an aspect barely mentioned in the film.
According to Stahelski, the anime will serve as a prequel to the films and will be a series. “It's great that it's in another medium”he commented.
Although there was no previous information confirming the format of the new John Wick project, Stahelski confirmed in an interview that it will be an anime series.
The director expressed his enthusiasm for the creative freedom that the anime format offers. Also mention that it will allow them to be more 'crazy', being able to explore new ideas without getting repetitive.
Stahelski first mentioned this anime project while participating in The Discourse Podcast, which sparked great interest from fans. The John Wick franchise created by Derek Kolstad has become a global phenomenon since the first film was released in 2014. The story follows John Wick, a former assassin, after the death of his pet dog, John is forced to return to the criminal world he left behind.
With four films released: John Wick (2014), Chapter 2 (2017), Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and Chapter 4 (2023), all directed by Stahelski, the John Wick universe continues to expand. .
In addition to an anime series, there are other projects in the works, such as the limited series The Continental: From the World of John Wick, due out in 2023, and the film Ballerina, scheduled for release in 2024 Similarly, it has been confirmed that the fifth part of the saga, titled John Wick 5, is also in development.
This new anime promises to fully explore John Wick's past and give fans a different perspective on the character, using a medium that allows creators to take action and narrative on a level that Stahelski thinks it's impossible in a live-action film.