If you weren't already excited for John Wick: Chapter 4, well, this should do it. Deadline has reported that Donnie Yen has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel and is set to star alongside Keanu Reeves. Yen is said to be playing an old friend of Reeve's John Wick, who "shares his same history and many of the same enemies." I can't wait.
"We are very lucky to have Donnie Yen join the franchise," said director Chad Stahelski. "I am looking forward to working with him in this exciting new role." Producer Basil Iwanyk added, "Donnie Yen will bring a vibrant and powerful energy to the franchise. We were determined to bring him on board to John Wick 4 and are thrilled for the opportunity to have such a major talent to collaborate with Keanu." The fourth installment of the John Wick franchise is also set to feature Japanese-British pop superstar Rina Sawayama, who joined the cast last month. "I’m so glad to have Rina on board to make her feature film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4," Stahelski said when Sawayama was cast. "She’s an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film." Production on John Wick: Chapter 4 will kick off this summer on location in France, Germany, and Japan.
During a Lionsgate earnings call last summer, CEO John Feltheimer had mentioned that they were hoping to shoot the next two installments of the John Wick franchise back-to-back, but according to a report from Collider back in March, that plan seems to have been abandoned for now. John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently slated for a May 27, 2022 release.