The Big Picture

Donnie Yen is set to return as Caine in the
John Wick
universe, with a new film shooting next year in Hong Kong.
The Caine-centered flick will follow the events of
John Wick: Chapter 4
and explore his story as a free agent post-High Table.
Director Chad Stahelski will oversee the
John Wick
universe, promising thrilling action and a fresh take on the beloved characters.

There’s never been a better time to be a John Wick fan, as the universe just can’t seem to help but continue to expand on the characters and their stories. This time, Donnie Yen will return to the franchise after appearing in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Caine, the blind assassin tasked with wiping the Baba Yaga off the face of the planet. Lionsgate reveals that the production is in its very early stages, but that production for the film is setting its eyes on next year in Hong Kong, meaning that we can hopefully expect to see it flying-side-kick its way onto screens perhaps sometime in 2026. While there are plenty of places to take the story of the popular assassin, the studio is keeping most of the details very hush, hush. As of right now, all we know is that Caine’s story will pick up following the end credits of John Wick: Chapter 4 as he’s now a free agent and no longer under the High Table’s command.

This marks the second feature-length spin-off to stem from the exciting world first created by Derek Kolstad and made famous by the original 2014 movie, John Wick, which introduced the world to the titular assassin played by Keanu Reeves. Before Yen’s character sees his singular day on the screen, audiences will be treated to Ballerina, a movie that will star Ana de Armas as the ballerina-turned-killer who is out for revenge on the villains who killed her family. The two off-shoot films will fit into the universe in very different ways, with Ballerina taking place between the third and fourth John Wick movies and the Caine-centered flick acting as the next chapter following the cliff-hanging moments of John Wick: Chapter 4.

As for the freshly announced Yen-starrer, the movie comes shortly after it was revealed that the director of the first three Wick films, Chad Stahelski, will serve as the overseer of the assassin’s universe. Other names associated with the franchise, including Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, who, under their Thunder Road banner, served as producers for all four Wick movies and Ballerina, will join the production team along with Stahelski through his 87Eleven Entertainment. The news may come as a shock to some who thought that spin-offs in the Wick world were being put on hold following the lackluster arrival of the franchise’s first TV show, The Continental, as well as the revamp that has faced Ballerina. But, the Caine-centered movie announcement just proves that there’s still plenty of life left in this film universe after all.

What Else Does Donnie Yen Have Coming Out?

Never one to take a beat, Yen has his hands in numerous other projects both in front of and behind the camera. Yesterday, we showed our readers a lineup of posters hanging in the hallways at the Cannes Film Festival and three of them involved Yen in major capacities. The actor will be back in fighting trim for the upcoming film, Ip Man 5, which he’ll both direct and star in. He’ll also appear in the action flicks, The Prosecutor and Flash Point Resurgence. And guess what? He’s directing both of those as well which means it will be a very busy few years for the martial arts icon.

To celebrate the announcement of his latest project with Lionsgate, Yen said,

“Working on John Wick: Chapter 4 was an extraordinary experience. The reason these films resonate so deeply is because, like myself, Chad, Basil, and Erica push themselves to create action, fights, and stunts that are not only thrilling, inventive and artistic, but also expressive of character, story, and emotion. Caine is an incredible character with a haunted past, and I am excited to return to the role.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates about this exciting Yen-led John Wick spin-off. In the meantime, you can stream John Wick: Chapter 4 on Starz.

John Wick: Chapter 4
With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.Release Date March 24, 2023 Runtime 169 minutes Writers Derek Kolstad

Watch On Starz