With the release of the fourth John Wick film earlier this year, there was a lot of talk about how Lionsgate wanted to expand the universe and explore new media. The Continental TV series that recently went up on Amazon Prime is an example of the studio's expansive plans and now Wick's director, Chad Stahleski, has revealed that an anime series based on the films is also in production. In a discussion with The Discourse, the creator had this to say:
"We're really looking forward to that. We're really excited about it because we're doing... a Japanese anime because I love Japanese anime so much. So to create all the cool stories that anime can achieve better than we can, and the TV show to expand our world. We'll still get our fix, you know what I mean? And we'll still have all the fun."
"I think for TV especially, world-building and action - those two have stayed pretty separate. But if you to try and combine them and give fans both? Look, I love the slow-burn too, but after six episodes, I would like something to happen in my TV shows, you know? So to try and bring that to TV what we do with features would be really exciting."
Previously, Stahleski has also mentioned in vague terms how the Wick universe offers many different possibilities, and how he would like to explore several of the film's characters a little deeper. Including Bowery King and Sofia Al-Azwar.
"I love the world of the homeless, I love The Bowery King's world, if there's ways to tie that together to its own thing, I don't know what that is yet. I like the worlds we haven't explored yet, like I love China. I love Hong Kong. I love the idea of tongs and triads, and all the history of Kung Fu and all this, there's a world there to be explored."
"We're currently developing the John Wick TV show now, I think these worlds are going to be explored there. I love Rina Sawayama's character, I like the hint of that, I would love to see the prequel to Halle Berry's character in the third one. I love, love, love Jimmy the cop, I love Charlie, David Patrick Kelly's character, the cleaner. I love John Leguizamo's Aurelio in the first one."
"There's these cool little worlds that haven't been poked or prodded enough, I think. Now to do their own thing, I don't know, but I'd like to bring them back in other storylines, and I think that's why we're so interested and so game to do a TV show, is to bring all these people in and about the world."
Are you looking forward to these new projects, or have we seen enough of the John Wick universe?