Keanu Reeves has signed on to voice and produce an animated John Wick prequel about the killing assignment that bought the assassin a life with Helen. Lionsgate greenlit the film on November 5, and it’s already in preproduction.
Set before the 2014 original, the movie will explore the Impossible Task. In that first film, crime boss Viggo Tarasov explains that Wick earned his way out by eliminating Tarasov’s rivals in a single night.
Tarasov expected him to die trying. Wick survived, helped secure Tarasov’s power in New York, and left to be with the woman he loved.
John Wick: Chapter 2 revealed a complication in that escape: Santino D’Antonio helped Wick complete the assignment. In return, Wick gave him a blood-oath marker.
After Helen’s death, Santino demanded repayment, forcing Wick to take another assassination job. The prequel puts the assignment behind that debt at the center of the story.
Shannon Tindle, who directed Ultraman: Rising, is directing the adult-oriented animated film. Ryan and Kaz Firpo, whose credits include Eternals, are writing it, taking over from previously announced writer Vanessa Taylor.
Reeves is producing alongside returning franchise producers Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey also involved. Stahelski, who directed the 4 main live-action films, has described animation as a way to push the series’ action beyond what live action allows.
The project was first announced at CinemaCon on April 1, 2025, when Reeves was expected to provide Wick’s voice. This month’s development brings a greenlight and a closed deal for his return. Including his appearance in the 2025 Ana de Armas spinoff Ballerina, the prequel would be his 6th film appearance as Wick.
John Wick: Chapter 5 remains a separate live-action project in development. This announcement provides no new timetable for that film. The animated prequel also has no announced title, release date or additional voice cast.
