Constantine 2 Director Fighting for Hard R-Rating for Keanu Reeves' Sequel

Constantine 2 is officially in development at Warner Brothers, featuring Keanu Reeves returning as the eponymous antihero. Filmmaker Francis Lawrence is also set to return, helming the picture based on a script being written by Akiva Goldsman. While the first film was R-rated, Lawrence wants to go even further into adult territory this time around. In a recent interview with TheWrap, Lawrence said he felt the first picture was more PG-13 than anything, something he hopes to change with his follow-up.

"One of the biggest things for me about the first one was we followed, per Warner Bros., the rules to make a PG-13 movie in terms of violence, blood, language, sexuality. But the ratings board gave us a hard R based on their the gray zone of intensity," Lawrence told the website. "And my big, big regret was that we have an R-rated movie that's really a PG-13 movie. And if I was going to have to go have an R, I would have really made an R-rated movie. I would have made it much scarier and much more violent and I would have really made an R-rated movie."

He added, "The idea is this time, at least for me, is to really go at it and make a real R-rated Constantine which is, I think, what people always wanted originally, not the PG-13 version that just happens to get an R."

Will Constantine 2 be in the DCU?

As of now, it's unclear what the DC Universe will look like moving forward. James Gunn and Peter Safran are busy charting out the next 10 years worth of films, but have yet to make any official announcements. Even then, reports suggest films like Joker 2 and Matt Reeves' The Batman will not reside in the continuity.

It's unclear if that means Constantine 2 will be considered part of the franchise, or if it will receive a similar treatment ot the two aforementioned film. It's also not clear when the first DC Studios reveal will take place.

"Opened up Twitter at the end of a long, creative weekend to see the many tweets to #SaveLegendsofTomorrow & #ReleaseTheAyerCut & fan support for other DC projects over the years. The majority of these requests were enthusiastic & respectful," Gunn wrote. "As the new (& first ever) CEOs of DC Studios, Peter & I think it's important we acknowledge you, the fans, & let you know we hear your different desires for the pathways forward for DC. Although our ability to interact on Twitter has been lessened due to the workload of our new positions, we are listening & open to everything as we embark on this journey, & will continue to do so for the next few years."

Gunn continued, "But all our initial focus is on the story going forward, hammering out the new DCU, & telling the Biggest Story Ever Told across multiple films, television shows, & animated projects. We invite all of the DC fandoms from across the multiverse – and everyone else as well – into this new universe. We can't wait to reveal more." You can check out his thread here.

Constantine is now streaming on HBO Max. The sequel has yet to set a release date or release frame at DC Studios.