John Wick 4 Script Isn’t Done, and the Director Is Worried About Topping Chapter 3

The success of the John Wick franchise couldn’t have been predicted when the first film was released in 2014. Each sequel has surpassed the previous entry in the series at the worldwide box office and managed to outdo its predecessors in the stunt department too. Soon after John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum was released Lionsgate announced the fourth movie would follow in 2021 but don’t ask director Chad Stahelski how he intends to one-up himself yet again with Chapter 4. In a new interview the co-creator of the series opened up about the stress he feels to go bigger one more time.

“I think Dave and I were both good at what we did as stuntmen and as choreographers. So, we don’t want to lose that,” Stahelski told Collider. “I want to be cool with the action. I want to be a better director, but that doesn’t mean I want to do less action or have less to do with the action. I guess the third one just felt like I needed a place to go after number two, and I had these ideas. It kind of became that wacky action movie.”

He adds, “There’s been a couple days where I’ve decided to do number four and I’ve woken up in a cold sweat going, ‘Horses! How do I beat horses?!’ Like, I have no f***in’ idea, to tell you the truth. […] I think I have a lot of really cool ideas for the next one that I think are different and shocking and fun and unique. How to do them, I have no f***in’ idea right now. I’m still figuring it out.”

Stahelski also revealed that production on the film is on hold not only due to the coronavirus but because star Keanu Reeves has to finish work on The Matrix 4 first. In addition, they don’t have a full script for the film just yet.

“We have, I wouldn’t call it a first draft but I’d call it a ‘scriptment’: A written-out story, part outline, part script, part thing. We know where we want to go, we know the thematics. We call it ‘the toy box.’ It’s like a 100-and-something page document, but some of it’s written. It’s a good place to start. Then we start thinning it out, and then we work with the writers to get the right scenes, and then we start working with Keanu’s dialogue. It’s a very outward-in process for us. Then, we’ll do the inward-outward process which is about character.”

John Wick: Chapter 4 was previously scheduled for a May 21, 2021 release date which will no doubt be altered once cameras can actually begin rolling on the sequel.