"John Wick Chapter 4" officially opened with a bow at the time of its London premiere on Monday night with the social media reactions embargo lifting during the event.
The fourth entry is set following the conclusion of "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum," which saw Keanu Reeves' famous assassin fall from atop the Continental Hotel after being betrayed by his friend Winston (Ian McShane). Naturally, Wick lives. "Chapter 4" uncovers the infamous Pariah who travels the world in order to free himself from the oppression of the devious, cutthroat High Table.
The critically acclaimed action series has received a lot of praise from the first round of reviews particularly for its extensive bench of sparring partners that includes Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Marko Zazor, Scott Adkins and Rina Sawayama. Another major issue of discussion is the length of the film of a lengthy two hours and 49 minutes38 minutes more than the previous installment's.
Los Angeles Times critic Katie Walsh loved the film and praised its cinematic style as a step above other franchise blockbusters. However, she added that there was one thing she didn't like about it: "Because it's dumb."
Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub had nothing but praise for the film, signaling that Reeves is up to some mischief using a dragon's breath shotgun.
CinemaBlend Critic Eric Eisenberg expressed some reservations regarding the film's long time-span. But he states that the film "earns it" with "smart pace" and some strong set pieces.
John Wick: Chapter 4 director and franchise creator Chad Stahelski explains why he hopes to take a break from the series prior to starting work on the next chapter. Stahelski started his career as a stuntman in Hollywood by working as a stuntman prior to teaming up with star Keanu Reeves for 2014's John Wick. Stahelski will co-direct the film with David Leitch, before solely in charge of the subsequent three sequels following John Wick was a surprise financial and critical success.
A conversation with /Film, Stahelski opens up about the future of the action series in advance of John Wick: Chapter 4's theatrical release, where he shares that he feels that he needs to step away from the franchise prior to continuing with Wick's story. In the meantime director Stahelski has hinted that that he may not direct John Wick 5 as a John Wick 5, telling the press, "I'm always saying, "This is my last film and this won't happen again.' And I'll say that now"This is my last one." As for why he feels it's necessary to take a break, Stahelski says:
While Stahelski wants to move on from John Wick's reluctant journey through the criminal underworld The John Wick franchise is scheduled to expand further with the new Ana de Armas-led spin-off Ballerina. The story is set within John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of John Wick Parabellum as well as John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina explores the story of de Armas' Rooney, who sets out on her own journey to seek revenge against the murderers of her family. As de Armas is taking over the role of Unity Phelan, Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston will all play the roles of previous installments in the franchise.
Following the success of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the other chapters in the series, Stahelski is set to utilize his talents as a director to new realms beyond the high-stakes gunplay of Reeves the master assassin. in 2021 Stahelski has been tapped to develop a film adaptation of Ghosts of Tsushima the most popular 2020 PlayStation game in which an samurai protects the island of Tsushima during the first Mongol assault on Japan. The director will also develop a reboot of the Highlander franchise and Stahelski stated that he had a vision of his interpretation of the war between immortals as an entire trilogy of films.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is among 2023's most highly anticipated releases. In John Wick Chapter 4 movie , although there could be some disappointment over a potential break between films, it's clear Stahelski's reasons could be beneficial for future films. Furthermore, with the director's future projects swapping firearms for swordplay the lessons Stahelski learns with Ghosts of Tsushima and Highlander will allow for thrilling fight scenes in future films.