Keanu Reeves to Reprise John Wick Role in Animated Prequel Film

Keanu Reeves is returning to the billion-dollar action franchise to voice his signature character in an officially greenlit animated prequel, The Independent reported, though the project arrives alongside active plans for a fifth live-action film and multiple spinoffs.

Lionsgate confirmed the greenlight during quarterly earnings, placing the feature in pre-production nearly two years after studio executives first teased the concept at CinemaCon in April 2025. The untitled animated film goes back in time to explore the infamous Impossible Task, the final mission John Wick completed for the High Table to win his freedom and marry Helen.

Production Teams and Creative Shifts Behind the Prequel

While the studio moves forward with Reeves reprising his role, the creative roster behind the animated feature has shifted since early development. ScreenRant noted that the screenplay was originally attached to Vanessa Taylor, but the film is now written by Ryan and Kaz Firpo, who previously penned Marvel’s Eternals. Shannon Tindle, director of Ultraman: Rising and Kubo and the Two Strings, is directing the project.

The film brings back the core producing team from the live-action entries, including Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road, Chad Stahelski of 87Eleven Entertainment, and Reeves himself. Production company Point Grey has also joined the team, with Nathan Kahane serving as an executive producer.

Expansion of the Billion-Dollar Franchise

The animated prequel is part of a broader expansion strategy for a franchise that has grossed over $1 billion globally across five films. That slate includes the Ana de Armas-led spin-off Ballerina, which was released in 2025, and a standalone film centered on the blind assassin Caine, played by Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4. ScreenRant reported that Yen directed and starred in the Caine spinoff, which wrapped production in July 2026 and features the return of Rina Sawayama as Shimazu Akira.

Meanwhile, a fifth live-action film remains in active development at Lionsgate. Despite the apparent death of Reeves’ character at the conclusion of Chapter 4, director Chad Stahelski stated in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he and writer Mike Finch were actively shaping a new story to potentially bring the actor back for another main-series installment.

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