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Lionsgate has approved an animated John Wick prequel, which will feature Keanu Reeves voicing John Wick. The film is set before the first movie and follows Wick’s Impossible Task, but it has no release date yet.
Lionsgate has greenlit an animated John Wick prequel, with Keanu Reeves returning to voice the title character, according to reporting by Deadline cited by Bloody Disgusting. Set before the first film, the project will tell the story of Wick’s Impossible Task, the assignment tied to his effort to leave the High Table and build a life with Helen.
The film is directed by Shannon Tindle, whose credits include Ultraman: Rising and Kubo and the Two Strings. Ryan and Kaz Firpo are writing the screenplay. The project is untitled, and no release date or further production schedule has been announced in the supplied report.
Deadline’s description, as relayed by Bloody Disgusting, says the story will follow Wick as he completes the Impossible Task to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with Helen. The premise revisits a formative period in the character’s history that has been part of the franchise’s mythology but has not been the focus of a feature-length film.
The prequel was first announced in 2025, but the latest green light provides a new status update after a period with few public details. Reeves’ participation is confirmed as a voice role for this project; the available report does not describe other cast members or specify when recording or animation work will begin.
A New Chapter in Wick’s Past
The green light gives the franchise a way to tell a story about John Wick before the events of the original film without reversing the later timeline. In John Wick: Chapter 4, released in 2023, Wick appeared to die. The animated prequel instead goes back to the events that helped shape his life and his connection to Helen.
Reeves’ return links the new project directly to the central film series, even though the medium and timeline differ. Animation also gives the filmmakers a distinct format for staging the franchise’s stylized action, though no details about its visual approach or action design have been released. The announcement confirms a project moving forward, not its eventual audience reach or commercial prospects.
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From Chapter Four to the Impossible Task
The John Wick series began with the 2014 film and expanded across sequels and spin-offs. The original films center on Wick’s return to the criminal world and the escalating conflicts that follow. The Impossible Task sits earlier in that chronology: the assignment is connected to the circumstances that allowed Wick to leave the High Table’s service and pursue a life with Helen.
The franchise has already explored stories beyond the main films. The prequel miniseries The Continental: From the World of John Wick focused on Winston Scott and the development of the assassins’ hotel network. The 2025 film Ballerina: From the World of John Wick starred Ana de Armas and took place earlier in the timeline; Reeves also appeared in it. The animated project shifts attention back to Wick himself.
The supplied report notes that neither of those spin-offs reached the same level of success as the central film series, but gives no figures or specific measure for that comparison. The new film’s performance cannot be assessed before it is completed and released.
““In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless.””
— Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate
Production Details Still Pending
No release date has been announced, and the supplied reporting does not say when production will start, how long the film will be, or which additional performers may join Reeves. It also does not provide a studio production timetable or confirm whether the screenplay is complete.
The update concerns the animated prequel only. Although Reeves was also announced for a fifth live-action installment in 2025, the report says there is no new information on that film’s status. The green light for the animated project should not be taken as confirmation that the fifth live-action film is in production.
Awaiting Casting and Release News
The next public updates are likely to clarify the animated film’s production schedule, additional cast, and release plans; none is specified in the current report. Until Lionsgate or the filmmakers announce those details, the project’s timing and distribution plans remain unknown.
For now, the confirmed development is that Lionsgate has approved the prequel, Tindle is attached to direct, the Firpos are writing, and Reeves is returning as Wick’s voice. Any news about the separate fifth live-action film would be a distinct development.
Key Questions
Is the animated John Wick prequel moving forward?
Yes. Lionsgate has greenlit the project, according to Deadline reporting cited by Bloody Disgusting.
Will Keanu Reeves appear in the animated film?
Reeves is set to voice John Wick. The report confirms his voice role, but does not give details about other cast members.
What story will the prequel tell?
It will take place before the first John Wick film and follow Wick completing the Impossible Task, an assignment connected to freeing himself from the High Table and his relationship with Helen.
Who is making the film?
Shannon Tindle is directing, and Ryan and Kaz Firpo are writing the screenplay.
When will the animated John Wick prequel be released?
No release date has been announced. The current report also does not give a production start date.
Source: bloody-disgusting.com
