Keanu Reeves seems to have doubled down on his commitment to the John Wick franchise by agreeing to appear in an upcoming spinoff film.
The 58-year-old actor, who stars as the title assassin in the blooding action series, will reprise his role as John Wick in the related film Ballerina, Collider reported on Tuesday.
The film will be led by Blonde star and Bond girl Ana de Armas, but it’s not clear how prominent Reeves’ role will be in her movie.
‘I’m thinking I’m back!’: Keanu Reeves is returning to reprise his role as John Wick in the series’ spinoff film Ballerina, Collider reported on Tuesday; seen in Toronto in December 2021
According to the publication, Reeves is currently in the Czech Republic and filming his role in Prague.
Ballerina, which is directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, is currently shooting in the European city.
The Matrix star has already completed film for a fourth film in the main John Wick series, which will again be directed by Chad Stahelski and is written by Hatten and Michael Finch.
The film was intended to have a 2021 release date, but filming was significantly delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Hard at work: Reeves is currently in Prague filming Ballerina, though it’s unclear if he will have significant screen time, or if it is merely a cameo role
Coming soon: The Matrix star has already completed film a fourth John Wick film, which will be released on March 24, 2023
John Wick 4 is set to be released on March 24, 2023, and there are currently plans to produce at least a fifth film in the series.
Reeves stars as Wick, an assassin who comes out of retirement after Russian gangsters pick a fight with him and kill his puppy, which was a gift from his now-deceased wife.
But after returning to the life of a hired killer, John is drawn in further into a secret society of assassins in the subsequent sequels.
Few plot details have been released about the spinoff Ballerina, and its not clear if Reeves will be playing a significant part, or if he will merely return for a short cameo.
Leading lady: Ballerina will be led by Ana de Armas, who is fresh off the praise she received for the otherwise polarizing film Blonde, which presents a fictionalized portrait of Marilyn Monroe; seen September 13 in Hollywood
It was previously announced that Ian McShane, who plays Winston, the manager of the assassin-friendly hotel The Continental, would be reprising his role in Ballerina, though it is also not known how prominent he will be in the film.
The character is set to be expanded in another John Wick property, the spinoff prequel series The Continental, which will focus on Winston’s early years running the hotel for hired killers.
Ana de Armas has already proven herself capable of fronting an action film with her supporting role in last year’s James Bond film No Time To Die, which served as the swan song for star Daniel Craig.
The actress recently received critical praise for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the controversial film Blonde, based on the work of fiction of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, though the film itself polarized reviewers.
The more the merrier: Ian McShane will also return to Ballerina as Winston, the manager of the assassin-friendly hotel The Continental. His character is also getting a prequel series named after The Continental; seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum
