The cast for John Wick: Chapter 4 is expanding as Ian McShane is officially returning as Winston, the enigmatic owner of The Continental. The fourth installment in the action franchise will see the return of Keanu Reeves in the titular role alongside Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King and Lance Reddick as Charon, the concierge of the New York Continental. Franchise director Chad Stahelski will once again helm the fourquel with John Wick 3's Shay Hatten and newcomer Michael Finch taking over as writers from series creator Derek Kolstad.
The plot details are currently unknown for the next installment, but will pick up from the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, in which the titular former assassin is shot by Winston and left for dead, only for a similarly-wounded Bowery King to save him and form an alliance to fight against the High Table. Lionsgate had already begun development on John Wick 4 prior to the release of its predecessor and originally set it for a May 2021 release, though it was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Reeves' commitment to The Matrix 4. The studio is also already at work on John Wick 5, which was originally going to be filmed back-to-back with the fourth film but instead was shifted back to focusing on the next film first.
With production a few weeks in, Deadline has brought word that John Wick: Chapter 4 is bringing back another franchise vet with Ian McShane's Winston. The film is currently shooting in France, Germany, and Japan over the summer and is set for a May 2022 release. Director Stahelski discussed the casting in a new statement:
“I couldn’t be happier than to welcome Ian McShane back to John Wick: Chapter 4. He is not only an amazing actor but is an indispensable collaborator who has helped define the world of John Wick.”
Though the plot of John Wick: Chapter 4 is still largely unknown, the ending to its predecessor has certainly set up an exciting battle to come for the titular hero but also intriguing journey for McShane's Winston. Having seemingly accepted the High Table's offer of fealty and turned against his longtime friend, seeing the Continental owner shoot Wick off of the skyscraper roof was a shocking twist. However, with much of the three films hinting at Winston's willingness to bend the rules to protect Wick, there's a possibility he could only be faking his loyalty in order to continue acting as an inside man.
Whatever the case may be, McShane's return for John Wick: Chapter 4 is only the latest bit of exciting news to stem from the fourquel. With a cast full of franchise newcomers, including Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada and Scott Adkins, amongst others, the next film is certainly setting a high bar even prior to any plot details or images. Only time will tell how the film lives up to the hype when it arrives in theaters in May 2022.
Source: Deadline
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July 16, 2021 at 12:20AM
