Chad Stahelski, the co-creator of the John Wick franchise, opens up about the challenges of developing John Wick: Chapter 5. The sequel was announced by Lionsgate at CinemaCon 2025, with both Keanu Reeves and Stahelski confirmed to return. Recently, the franchise returned to the big screen with the Ballerina spinoff starring Ana de Armas, sparking conversations about the upcoming sequel that is currently in development.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski revealed the challenge they’re facing. The franchise’s co-creator admitted that it was “a bit of a conundrum” to follow up the satisfying ending in Chapter 4, but they already have a “pretty good story” that they are “actively working on” to develop into a complete script. Read his comments below:
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a bit of a conundrum. Me and Mike Finch — the writer on 4 who’s also writing 5 — we’ve got a pretty good story that I think is cool. Once we have a 50-page book, and if we’re feeling it, we’ll sit with Keanu and shape this thing. Look, everybody seems to want it. It’s a matter of whether we crack it. We’re actively working on it. It’s just … is it going to be satisfying?
The Creative Process For John Wick: Chapter 5 Hasn’t Been Smooth
Stahelski has previously clarified that John Wick: Chapter 5‘s plot won’t be a continuation of the High Table storyline, as it has already ended with Chapter 4. Recently, he also stressed that the reason they were hesitant about the sequel is that he didn’t want to disappoint fans of the franchise. Even though the project has been confirmed by Lionsgate, the co-creator’s recent comments seem to indicate that the project’s fate is dependent on whether they’ll be able to find a good enough story to tell.
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After this exciting tease in 2021, it would be amazing to see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss star in a future John Wick movie together.
It also sounds like the creative team is working on making a “satisfying” follow-up to Chapter 4, which could be a good sign. It means that if the sequel ends up being made, it’ll likely have an authentically strong plot, which makes Reeves’ next John Wick movie highly anticipated. On the other hand, Stahelski’s comments also reveal that they are still working on the script, and there’s a level of uncertainty around whether their current idea could be turned into a “50-page book.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 Is A Tough Act To Follow
It’s understandable that the director and co-creator of the first four John Wick movies feels a bit uncertain about the sequel, especially after having closed a massively satisfying chapter with John Wick: Chapter 4. Chapter 5 isn’t a continuation but the start of a new storyline, except the movie has to deal with massive expectations for a sequel instead of the first in a series, which makes things a little tricky.
With the franchise branching out into other media and spinoffs, the world of John Wick is expanding while staying fresh. It’s a lot easier to continue an unfinished storyline and start a movie around a new character than to explore what’s next for John Wick after he has fought so hard through four films for a little peace. This doesn’t mean John Wick: Chapter 5 isn’t happening, but it might take more time and creative juice to come to life.
Source: THR
