Chad Stahelski is a filmmaker who finds himself attached to a number of projects. And even though we get excited for every new film his name comes up about, Stahelski always ends up coming back to his baby—“John Wick.” Well, it appears the filmmaker is going to continue spearheading the ‘Wick’ franchise, but his next film is actually going to be something very different.
According to Variety, Chad Stahelski has been named as the overseer for both the “John Wick” and “Highlander” franchises over at Lionsgate. And as part of the deal, we now know Stahelski will now commit to making his “Highlander” remake as his next directorial outing. So, all that discussion about “John Wick 5” is going to have to take a backseat for the time being.
Now, for some people, this news might be a bit confusing. Isn’t Stahelski the man in control over “John Wick” already? Well, he is the co-creator, but he hasn’t had complete creative control in such a comprehensive way previously. Yes, he was the director of the first four ‘Wick’ films, but he is only listed as an Executive Producer on the TV spinoff, “The Continental,” as well as the upcoming film spinoff, “The Ballerina.” It’s unclear how much Stahelski was actually involved in the creation of those films. Moving forward, Stahelski will be the guy who makes those decisions about the expansion of not only “John Wick,” but also his upcoming “Highlander” franchise.
“I am pleased to be able to grow my relationship with Lionsgate in this new oversight role for the ‘John Wick’ universe and its further expansion,” said Stahelski. “‘John Wick’ is so close to my heart and to be able to continue shepherding it will be a blast for me. I’m so happy to also be launching another franchise with ‘Highlander,’ a world that is so rich with engaging stories to be told.”
Joe Drake, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and Adam Fogelson, chair of the MPG, added, “This deal expands on the great creative relationship we already have in place on ‘John Wick’ and extends it to our ‘Highlander’ franchise. From the outset, Chad has been the creative force defining the world of ‘Wick;’ as we continue to think about the future for that world, we want Chad, working together with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road, as our stewards guiding us and strategizing together at every step. This deal makes it official, and we look forward to his steady hand and creative input not just on the film he is making, but other stories that arise from it. He is a true visionary, and we are thrilled to have him in our corner.”
Stahelski has been really excited about making “Highlander” for a while now. But it always seemed to take a backseat to ‘Wick.’ But now, with “Highlander” confirmed as his next film, we can finally get excited by what he and Henry Cavill have cooking. “Highlander” is inspired by the franchise of the same name about an immortal warrior through the ages. The films and the TV series that were popular years ago still hold a place in the heart of many fans. But it’s exciting to see what someone like Stahelski, a filmmaker who has already revolutionized the action genre, can do with something more fantastical.
It’s unclear at this point what the expansions of “John Wick” and “Highlander” will look like moving forward. Will Stahelski and Co. immediately put some TV shows in development? Will they stick with films, for now? We’ll just have to wait and see.