'John Wick 4' director on the odds of another sequel: 'Keanu and I are done for the moment'

After the three-hour juggernaut that is John Wick: Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves' world-weary assassin deserves some rest. Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the latest installment in the action-heavy franchise (it opens in theaters everywhere next week), returning director Chad Stahelski was asked about the odds of a potential fifth entry. While another sequel was originally slated to be filmed back-to-back with Chapter 4, that plan ultimately fell through in the face of COVID-19 and a grueling production schedule.

"In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment," Stahelski confessed. "We’re going to give John Wick a rest. I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute. Wicks always, for some weird reason, always get the latest release date in Japan. It’s always like, three months later. If it’s the same this time, we’ll do a Japanese tour and release the movie in September. Keanu and I will take the long trip to Tokyo, we’ll sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar and go, 'What do you think?' We’ll have a couple 20-year-old whiskies and write some ideas on napkins. If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie."

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Besides, Stahelski already has a number of other directorial commitments, including Rainbow Six, a Highlander reboot, and an adaptation of the Ghost of Tsushima video game.

"There have been a few that have come out, and I’ve been surprised to see I’m attached to direct them," the filmmaker said with a laugh. "Really, though, there’s a lot I’m interested in. But the Wicks are so intense, and I like being part of all of it. I’ve tried to be the multitasker director — prepping one thing while working on another — but I can’t. That’s why they start stacking up."

Fans of the Wick mythos still have plenty to look forward to such as Ballerina — a spinoff film starring Anna de Armas, Norman Reedus, Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Gabriel Byrne — and The Continental, a Peacock prequel series about a young Winston and how he became proprietor of the killer-friendly hotel.

John Wick: Chapter 4 hits the big screen next Friday — March 24. Click here to purchase tickets for the film, which currently holds a fresh score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (the highest rating of the entire franchise).

Refresh yourself on all the puppy snuggles and gunplay with the first three John Wick movies — now streaming on Peacock.