Lionsgate held its official panel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this morning, finally delivering the announcement that fans have been waiting for. After confirming weeks ago that John Wick 5 was in development, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson revealed that Keanu Reeves will return and reprise his role as the Baba Yaga in the film, with veteran director Chad Stahelski set to helm the fifth installment. Lionsgate is also reuniting with Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, who will produce the film alongside Reeves and Stahelski. Plot details and additional casting are being kept under wraps, and the studio declined to give a potential release date. Early development on John Wick 5 is officially underway, and a filming start date has not been set.

Since John Wick: Chapter 4 was released in theaters during the summer of 2023, the road to development for John Wick 5 has been a roller coaster. Word of the fifth installment was eerily quiet for a while, and star Keanu Reeves gave several disappointing updates when asked if he would be interested in returning to play John Wick again. During the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 press tour, Reeves cited his age and said he wasn’t sure if his knees would allow him to play John Wick again. More recently, when asked if he was returning to play John Wick again, Reeves simply said, “he died.” The Baba Yaga does seemingly die at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, but as today’s announcement confirms, that doesn’t rule out Reeves’ return, be it from a potential resurrection or a project set before the events of John Wick: Chapter 4.

The ‘John Wick’ Franchise Is Expanding With Other Characters

Even before it was confirmed that John Wick 5 was in development, John Wick fans had much to be excited about. The next film in the franchise comes in the form of Ballerina, the Ana de Armas-led spin-off that will also see Reeves briefly reprise his role as John Wick. Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick will also reprise their roles as Winston and Charon, respectively, with The Walking Dead veteran Norman Reedus even joining the fold. Lionsgate is also developing a spin-off around Donnie Yen’s Caine. Collider reported exclusively not long ago that Yen is in talks to direct the film, and Lionsgate also confirmed this report at CinemaCon. The franchise is also getting an animated prequel feature, with Reeves attached to voice the titular character.

John Wick 5 is officially in development with Reeves and Stahelski returning, but the film does not yet have a release date.