Keanu Reeves was seen arriving at Berlin’s Potsdam Babelsberg studios on Wednesday to continue work on the latest installment of the John Wick franchise, John Wick 4.
The 56-year-old actor dressed warmly and seemed in good spirits as he locked his car and headed into the studio.
Reeves wore a black coat over slim black trousers, accompanied by a dual-tone beanie and a cozy scarf. The bearded actor appeared cheerful as he left the parking lot.
The cast and crew of the upcoming film are preparing to start principal photography in June, marking the next chapter in the action-thriller series. Development for the fourth entry officially began soon after the release of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in May 2019.
In April of last year, the series’ director, Chad Stahelski, spoke to Collider and revealed that the creative team had ambitious plans for the upcoming movie. “We submitted an idea or thematic plan that was quite big,” he explained, suggesting that they had aspirations beyond a simple John Wick 4.
The 52-year-old director indicated that they had a solid story outline for the new film and that they were pleased with the development process. “I’m in a happy place with where we are in development… we know what we want to do and where we want to do it,” he remarked.
Stahelski assured that the new film would retain its focus on high-octane action, pointing out that he and his creative partner, David Leitch, were both experienced stuntmen and choreographers who valued the franchise’s roots. “We don’t want to lose that,” he added.
Production for the fourth John Wick movie will primarily occur in Berlin and Paris, with additional locations in New York City and Japan.
Initially, the plan was to shoot a fifth film back-to-back with the fourth, but this idea was later abandoned, putting the future of a potential fifth installment on hold.
John Wick 4 was originally slated for release this year, but due to the global pɑndemic, the release date was pushed back to May 27, 2022. This scheduling change also helped avoid a cоnflict with Reeves’ other major project, the currently untitled fourth film in The Matrix series.
The John Wick franchise is expanding, with several spin-offs in the works. One of them, a female-led project titled Ballerina, has been in development since 2017. In May of last year, reports suggested Chloe Grace Moretz was being considered for the lead role.
Additionally, a television series called The Continental, centered around the in-universe hotel of the same nɑme, has been in development for three years and will premiere on Starz in the near future. Reeves is expected to reprise his role as John Wick for this series as well.