Chad Stahelski has firmly established himself as one of the finest directors in the action genre, and as such, this next bit of news will surely delight his fans.
As reported by Giant Freakin Robot, the acclaimed American director is gearing up for a thrilling new project, The Pursuit, where he will reunite with John Wick star Keanu Reeves.
Keanu will portray a skilled thief tasked with stealing a valuable artifact, but the situation takes an unexpected turn when he realizes the artifact grants him extraordinary superpowers.
Lionsgate Films, the studio behind the John Wick films, will take charge of producing the upcoming film. However, at this time, no specific release date has been announced.
Stahelski's collaboration with Keanu dates back over two decades, when he first assumed the role of Keanu's stunt double in The Matrix franchise. Building upon that experience, he further advanced his career as a stunt coordinator in the 2009 neo-noir martial arts film Ninja Assassin and Sylvester Stallone's 2012 film, The Expendables 2.
Two years later, Stahelski joined forces with Keanu once again in John Wick, but this time as a co-director, working alongside David Leitch. The film's unexpected success paved the way for the development of three additional sequels, all of which were entrusted to Stahelski as the sole director.
The John Wick franchise has since solidified its position as one of the most successful action franchises, amassing over $1 billion in global box office revenue. Its latest installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, soared to new heights as the highest-grossing film within the franchise, raking in over $419 million in ticket sales worldwide. As a result, the franchise has inspired multiple spinoffs, including the upcoming Peacock series titled The Continental: From the World of John Wick and an upcoming film titled Ballerina.
Set to premiere in September on Peacock, The Continental: From the World of John Wick will delve into the captivating backstory of Winston Scott, tracing his journey and ascent to become the proprietor of The Continental hotel in the 1970s. Colin Woodell has been cast to portray a young Winston in the show.
Meanwhile, Ballerina takes place in the timeline between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and Chapter 4. The story revolves around the ballerina-assassin Rooney, who's on a mission to avenge the murder of her family. Ana de Armas will replace Unity Phelan as the titular character, while several cast members including Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick, will reprise their roles from the third film.
The film is slated for release on June 7, 2024.
