John Wick anime series: Director Chad Stahelski shares his vision, hints at Wickverse expansion

Since its inception in 2014, the John Wick franchise led by Keanu Reeves has proven to be a blockbuster investment for the makers. With each subsequent release, the franchise's box office success has witnessed exponential growth, culminating in the recent triumph of John Wick: Chapter 4, grossing over $187 million domestically and becoming a success. Expanding beyond the films, the franchise has made strides into television with the prequel series The Continental. However, the latest development has set its sights on anime, with director Chad Stahelski confirming plans for an anime adaptation during a conversation on The Discourse Podcast.

Director's vision for John Wick anime

Stahelski expressed enthusiasm for the forthcoming anime adaptation, acknowledging the potential of anime storytelling to explore narratives beyond the movies. Additionally, Stahelski mentioned another separate TV project focusing on the present-day world of John Wick.

He said, "So we’re really looking forward to that; we’re really excited about it because we’re doing that and a Japanese anime because I love Japanese anime so much. So to create all the cool stories that anime could achieve better than we could 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."

Stahelski hints at the expansion of John Wick universe

The director hinted at the expansion of the Wickverse through various projects, including a potential involvement of characters from John Wick: Chapter 4, such as Cain (Donnie Yen), Akira (Rina Sawayama), and The Tracker (Shamier Anderson).

He said, "Yeah, I love Donnie [Yen], I love Rina [Sawayama], love the Tracker (Shamier Anderson), and the TV show and the ancillaries will give us a chance to expand the kind of fun world we've created, and it doesn't have to be John Wick, the character specific, you know what I mean so that we can explore all that stuff."

What is the potential of the John Wick anime series?

While official details about the anime series remain scarce, speculation surrounds potential collaborations with renowned Japanese animation studios. Several esteemed studios, including A1 Pictures, Mappa Studio, Madhouse Studios, Production I.G., and Wit Studio, are deemed likely candidates for the project due to their distinguished portfolios, reported Collider.

Each studio brings its unique strengths to the table, ranging from animation style to storytelling capability. A1 Pictures, Mappa Studio, Madhouse Studios, Production I.G., and Wit Studio possess diverse portfolios, varying from emotionally-driven narratives to action-packed storytelling, making them ideal contenders for crafting a compelling John Wick anime series.