John Wick Chapter 5 is officially in development. Lionsgate confirmed the project at CinemaCon in April 2025, with director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves both set to return. No release date, script details, or full cast have been confirmed yet.
| Milestone | Status |
| Official development confirmed | April 2025 (CinemaCon) |
| Director | Chad Stahelski (confirmed) |
| Star | Keanu Reeves (confirmed) |
| Script status | In progress |
| Filming start | Not yet announced |
| Expected release | 2028 at the earliest |
Lionsgate producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are also confirmed to return, alongside Stahelski and Reeves. Beyond these names, Lionsgate has not released plot, casting, or scheduling details.
What will happen in John Wick Chapter 5?
Chapter 4 ended with John Wick defeating the High Table, winning his freedom, and appearing to die on the church steps of Sacré-Cœur. Stahelski has said Chapter 5 won’t continue directly from that ending. He told Empire:
“The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. It’s not a continuation with the High Table. John dealt with his grief.”
Stahelski also said the eventual trailer will make an impression, telling Empire fans will react strongly to it.
Is John Wick dead?
The film never showed Wick’s death on screen. He collapsed on the church steps after killing the Marquis and reflecting on his late wife, Helen, and the film closed with Winston and the Bowery King at his grave. Stahelski has said John Wick Chapter 5 will not use a retcon – there will be no “it was all a dream” reveal and no empty-grave twist.
Based on Stahelski’s comments, the most-discussed directions among fans and critics are:
| Theory | Description |
| Side-mission prequel | Set before Chapter 4’s ending |
| Full prequel | Younger Wick, via de-aging or recasting |
| Continuation without Wick | Wick appears only in flashbacks |
| Wick survived | Story continues with an ambiguous survival explained |
John Wick Chapter 5 Cast
Lionsgate has confirmed only two names: Keanu Reeves as John Wick (also producing) and Chad Stahelski directing. No other cast has been officially announced.
| Actor | Character | Status |
| Keanu Reeves | John Wick | Confirmed, also producing |
| Ian McShane | Winston | Not yet confirmed |
| Laurence Fishburne | Bowery King | Not yet confirmed |
| Ana de Armas | Eve Macarro | Not yet confirmed |
| Donnie Yen | Caine | Not yet confirmed |
| Halle Berry | Sofia | Not yet confirmed |
McShane’s and Fishburne’s characters both survived Chapter 4, which keeps a return possible, but Lionsgate has not confirmed either actor.
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What releases before Chapter 5?
Two other John Wick projects are scheduled to release before Chapter 5.
Caine, a spinoff directed by Donnie Yen, follows the character’s release from the High Table after the events of Chapter 4. Filming started in Budapest on April 25, 2026, and continues in Hong Kong from late June 2026. Yen described the character to press: “What drew me to Caine is the contradiction. He carries love, responsibility, and sacrifice in a world built on consequence.”
| Director | Donnie Yen |
| Star | Donnie Yen as Caine |
| Supporting cast | Rina Sawayama, Dacre Montgomery, Mason Thames, Bill Nighy |
| Screenplay | Mattson Tomlin, Michael McGrale |
| Filming started | April 25, 2026 (Budapest) |
| Expected release | 2027 |
An animated John Wick prequel is also in development at Lionsgate, with Keanu Reeves voicing John Wick. The film covers the “impossible task” that built Wick’s reputation. Based on typical animated production timelines, it’s likely to release around early 2028.
John Wick Chapter 5 Release date
Lionsgate has not set a release date. The studio has confirmed that Chapter 5 will follow two other projects in the franchise: the Caine spinoff and an animated prequel, both still in production. Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson addressed the timeline directly:
“There are a lot of steps, so I wouldn’t want to put a timeline on it. But in terms of finding a core idea, they appear to have landed on something they’re excited about, and now we’ll see.”
Given that neither the Caine spinoff nor the animated prequel has been released, and filming on Chapter 5 hasn’t started, 2028 is the earliest realistic window.
Why John Wick Chapter 5 is taking time?
Lionsgate and the filmmakers have pointed to several factors:
- The story requires a new angle. Wick died at the end of Chapter 4, and Stahelski has said the sequel needs a genuinely new story rather than a retcon.
- Stahelski is directing another film. He’s also attached to direct Highlander with Henry Cavill, which affects his available time for Chapter 5.
- Ballerina’s reception factored into planning. Ballerina (2025) had a mixed critical and commercial reception, which reporting suggests made Lionsgate more cautious about how it develops the next mainline entry.
- Reeves has spoken about the physical toll of Chapter 4. He has discussed the demands of the role in past interviews, which supports a longer gap between mainline films.
Franchise box office
The John Wick franchise has earned $1.011 billion worldwide across four films.
| Film | Year | Worldwide Box Office | Budget |
| John Wick | 2014 | $86 million | $20–30 million |
| John Wick: Chapter 2 | 2017 | $174 million | $40 million |
| John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | 2019 | $327 million | $75 million |
| John Wick: Chapter 4 | 2023 | $447 million | $100 million |
Each sequel has outgrossed the one before it, with Chapter 4 five times the box office of the original film.
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Where John Wick Chapter 5 fits in the franchise?
| Project | Type | Status |
| John Wick (2014) | Main film | Released |
| John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) | Main film | Released |
| John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) | Main film | Released |
| John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) | Main film | Released |
| The Continental (2023) | TV series | Released (Peacock) |
| Ballerina (2025) | Spinoff film | Released |
| Caine | Spinoff film | Filming (2026) |
| John Wick Animated Prequel | Animated film | In development |
| John Wick Chapter 5 | Main film | Early development |
| John Wick: Under the High Table | TV series | Early development |
| John Wick (video game) | Game | Announced (2026) |
In February 2026, Saber Interactive and Lionsgate announced an original John Wick video game for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC, with Keanu Reeves reprising his role.
Watch order before John Wick Chapter 5
| Order | Title | Relevance |
| 1 | John Wick (2014) | Introduces the character and the Continental |
| 2 | John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) | Introduces the High Table |
| 3 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) | Expands the High Table storyline |
| 4 | John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) | Sets up the ending Chapter 5 responds to |
| 5 | Ballerina (2025) | Set between Chapters 3 and 4 |
| 6 | Caine (2027 expected) | Direct lead-in to the world of Chapter 5 |
The Continental (Peacock) is optional viewing that covers the hotel’s history but isn’t required to follow Chapter 5.
Summary
John Wick Chapter 5 has a confirmed director, star, and production status, but no script details, release date, or supporting cast have been announced. Two other projects, Caine and the animated prequel, are scheduled to release first. Based on current production timelines for all three projects, 2028 is the earliest realistic release window for Chapter 5.
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