The John Wick universe continues to grow, with Donnie Yen to get his own spin-off. The film will continue the adventures of his character, Caine.
Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski, star and director of the popular John Wick series, may be taking a well-earned break from the franchise, but that isn’t stopping Lionsgate from finding ways to keep the good ship Wick on its journey to box office dollars.
There’s the TV prequel spin-off, The Continental, which has already released, not to mention Ballerina, the recently-delayed spin-off movie that will feature Ana de Armas as an assassin who looks to have graduated from the same killing school that taught John Wick himself.
Gird yourself for more stories from the John Wick universe, though, as it’s been announced by Lionsgate (thanks Dark Horizons) that Donnie Yen’s Caine character will also be getting a spin-off film. It will chart the further adventures of the rather charming kung fu master who made his debut in last year’s John Wick: Chapter 4. Apparently, the project has been slated to begin production in Hong Kong next year and will follow Caine once he’s been ‘freed from his obligations to the High Table.’
Donnie Yen is building himself a niche specialism playing blind characters who are also incredibly skilled warriors. He memorably pulled off the feat in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story playing the character of Chirrut Îmwe, a warrior who ‘saw’ via the Force. Yen’s character stood out amid an interesting ensemble of rebels and warriors and was a fun watch, yet somehow he managed to make the blind kung fu warrior character of Caine in John Wick: Chapter 4 even more appealing, playing perfectly off Keanu Reeves’ stoic assassin with wit and charm.
Read more: Ballerina | “They’ve got to protect the franchise,” Ian McShane says of reshoots
Given how watchable Yen was in this role, we’ll remain cautiously optimistic about this project. It’s also good to know that Lionsgate have taken the commendable step of appointing Chad Stahelski – the director of the mainline series – to oversee any Wick-adjacent projects to ensure that the quality bar matches the films we’ve already seen.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s Adam Fogelson had this to say in a statement: “From the moment Donnie Yen appeared on screen in John Wick: Chapter 4, he captivated audiences and created an authentic, emotional connection that left an indelible mark and had fans asking for more. The John Wick universe that Chad, Basil, Erica and Keanu have built offers a tapestry of fascinating characters brought to life by the most extraordinary performers, and we’re excited to have one of the world’s biggest superstars on board to continue this journey.”
Umbrella Academy’s Robert Askins has been drafted in to write the script, but no director has yet been announced. As always, we’ll bring you more on this one as we hear it.
