'John Wick: Chapter 4': Everything to Know

Murray Close/Lionsgate

Get ready for some action!

After nearly four years and a delayed release date, Keanu Reeves is reprising his role as Mr. Wick — and he says John Wick: Chapter 4 is the most intense installment yet.

"There's all of that John Wick swag — cars, weapons, jiujitsu. But with Chapter 4, we took it to another level," Reeves said in a John Wick: Chapter 4 stunt breakdown for IGN Fan Fest. "It's been about 12 weeks of training. You see the effort and the commitment from the [stunt] team."

The muscle cars also make a big comeback in John Wick: Chapter 4.

"We took the car-driving to the next level, which I really enjoy," Reeves told Total Film. "There's 180s, forward-into-reverse 180s, reverse-into-forward 270s, drifting. It was really fun to get a chance to learn those skills, and to play."

But it wasn't all fun and games, the actor added, sharing that the film was the "hardest physical role" of his career thus far. "They really trained me up to be able to have what we call the toolbox," he explained.

Still, it seems that all that hard work was worth it. In March 2023, Critics shared their reactions to the film after initial screenings, with many praising the film's pacing and action choreography. Consequence editor Liz Shannon Miller wrote on Twitter that John Wick 4's "three-hour runtime makes so much sense when you're going *that* hard. The third act alone... just glorious."

On March 17, 2023, the cast and crew learned that Lance Reddick, who played Charon, had suddenly died at the age of 60. Reeves and director Chad Stahelski dedicated the fourth film to his memory.

"He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. We will miss him dearly," they said in a joint statement released by Deadline.

From plot points to the release date, here's everything we know about John Wick: Chapter 4.

What is John Wick: Chapter 4 about?

Niko Tavernise/Lionsgate

In the fourth installment of the action-packed franchise, John Wick "uncovers a path to defeating the High Table." The titular character must traverse the globe and overcome every challenge posed by The Table's new leader — the Marquis de Garmont, played by It's Bill Skarsgård — to secure his freedom.

Is there a trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4?

In November 2022, Lionsgate released the official trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4. The two-minute, 29 seconds-long clip opens with a conversation between John Wick and his old friend, Caine.

"You're going to die," Caine says. To which Wick replies: "Maybe not."

The trailer then shows a new villain, the Marquis de Garmont, stating his plans to completely reboot the High Table's pecking order. "A new day is dawning. New ideas. New rules. New management," he says.

The New York Continental's manager, Winston, explains to Wick that he must challenge the Marquis to single combat.

"I don't sit at The Table," Wick says, before Winston responds: "Your family does."

Fans are then introduced to Katia — a character whom director Chad Stahleski describes as Wick's "former family," similar to a stepsister.

The trailer closes with the Marquis making Wick a big promise. "If you win, The Table will honor its word. You will have your freedom," he says.

Before releasing the official trailer, Lionsgate excited fans about John Wick: Chapter 4 with a short teaser, which the entertainment company first shared at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022.

Who is in the cast?

Steve Granitz/WireImage ; Frazer Harrison/WireImage ; George Pimentel/Getty

Keanu Reeves is back as John Wick — and he's joined by a few familiar faces. The Bowery King, played by Laurence Fishburne, has recovered from his "seven cuts" in John Wick: Chapter 3 and is a key player in helping Wick secure his freedom.

"Laurence Fishburne is a legend. He's a beautiful man, a beautiful spirit and a remarkable artist. He's one of the greats," Wick said during an interview with IGN for Fan Fest 2023.

Also returning are two members of the New York Continental staff — Charon, depicted by Lance Reddick, and Winston, played by Ian McShane.

Sadly, just a week shy of the John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere, Reddick died suddenly at the age of 60. After hearing the news, a number of celebrities and industry professionals paid tribute to the actor on social media.

"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick," Reeves and director Chad Stahelski said in a joint statement. "He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife, Stephanie, his children, family and friends. We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly."

New to the franchise is Bill Skarsgård. The seasoned actor plays a leading role in the fourth film as the Marquis de Gramon.

"I wouldn't really say [he's] the antagonist, but he's the one in charge of cleaning up all the messes from the first three movies," director Chad Stahelski told Collider.

But the cast additions don't stop there. One of the world's top martial arts choreographers, Donnie Yen, plays Wick's longtime friend, Caine. He's joined by Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu.

"I've been a fan of [Sanada] forever, like a 30-year fan. He was originally going to play a part for me in John Wick 3 but he tore his Achilles tendon right before," Stahelski shared.

As for Katia, Wick's familial tie, she's depicted by Harry Potter's Natalia Tena. Meanwhile, on-the-rise actor Shamier Anderson plays the Tracker.

Who is directing John Wick: Chapter 4?

Jun Sato/WireImage

Chad Stahelski has directed all three of the previous John Wick films, and Chapter 4 is no exception.

In a conversation with Collider at CinemaCon 2022, he spoke about the fourth installment and what fans can expect.

"Chapter 4 is a good continuation of all three previous films," he said. "We introduced a ton of new characters. Keanu has got some new skill sets. He's [also] got some new props, which are great."

During a separate interview with the outlet, Stahelski revealed that John Wick: Chapter 4 will have the longest run time of all the movies — clocking in between two hours and 30 minutes.

Where was John Wick: Chapter 4 filmed?

James Devaney/GC Images

Chapter 4 takes John Wick worldwide, including Japan, Jordan, Germany and France.

In July 2021, Reeves was photographed filming in Berlin. He was also spotted chatting with fans outside of his hotel.

After wrapping the film, Reeves gave each member of his stunt team a Rolex Submariner engraved with the words, "The John Wick Five."

When will John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere?

Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett

The film will hit theaters on March 24, 2023.

While talking to WIRED, Stahelski and Reeves discussed why they wanted to give John Wick: Chapter 4 a theatrical release.

"Maybe it's our generation, but I like seeing a movie in the cinema, even if it's meant for streaming eventually. It's such a different experience," the franchise's director said.

Reeves added: "I think the power of cinema — part of it is its novelty, but also its scale. You see a close-up of a wonderful performance with emotions and storytelling that touch you. Whether it's horror or action or comedy, you're seeing a face that's, you know, 20 feet tall. Yeah. You're, like, there. The intimacy of that."

Will there be a John Wick: Chapter 5?

In August 2020, the CEO of Lionsgate, John Feltheimer, did confirm that the company has plans to produce a fifth John Wick movie.

The original hope was to film the fourth and fifth movies back to back. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made those plans impossible.

More recently, Reeves told Total Film that a fifth installment is not completely guaranteed.

"You have to see how the audience responds to what we did," he said. "The only reason we've had a chance to make these movies is that people have liked what we have done. So I think we have to wait and see how the audience responds to it. Hopefully they'll like it."