Ever sinceJohn Wickcame out in October 2014, this franchise has been one of the best investments for Lionsgate. With each release, theKeanu Reeves-starrer franchise’s box office grows at an explosive rate.John Wickbrought in over $43 million,John Wick: Chapter 2garnered over $92 million,John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellumraked in over $171 million, andJohn Wick: Chapter 4, the most recent installment, has made a whopping $187,131,806 (and counting) domestically. TheJohn Wickfranchise has expanded outside the movie world as well, having gone into the small screen world with its prequel seriesThe Continental. So what’s next for one of the most successful franchises of our time? The ever-growing world of anime, of course. Read on to find out everything we know so far about the upcomingJohn Wickanime series.
The ‘John Wick’ Anime Series Has Just Been Announced
If you were hoping for a release date or trailer for theJohn Wickanime series, you’ll have to wait a bit longer as the project has only recently been announced. During a talk withThe Discourse Podcast,Chad Stahelski, director of theJohn Wickmovies, talked about the franchise’supcoming TV spinoffand anime adaptation (two separate projects) saying:
“So we’re really looking forward to that; we’re really excited about it because we’re doing that and a Japanese anime because I love Japanese anime so much. So to create all the cool stories that anime could achieve better than we could and the TV show to expand our world, we’ll still get our fix, you know what I mean? And we’ll still have all the fun.”
Stahelskiwas reportedly less involved withThe Continentalbut will be involved with future projects in the Wickverse, including the anime series. The otherJohn Wickshow that he’s talking about above is another new project, which will focus on the present-day world ofJohn Wickinstead of the past. Not only that, Stahelski also talked about how Lionsgate now wants them to do another seriesfocusing more on the High Tableand how characters fromJohn Wick: Chapter 4can be involved, including the likes of Cain (Donnie Yen), Akira (Rina Sawayama), and The Tracker (Shamier Anderson):
“Yeah, I loveDonnie[Yen], Ilove Rina[Sawayama], love the Tracker (Shamier Anderson), and the TV show and the ancillaries will give us a chance to expand the kind of fun world we’ve created, and it doesn’t have to be John Wick, the character specific, you know what I mean so that we can explore all that stuff.”
Japanese Animation Studios That May Work on the ‘John Wick’ Anime
While there’s really no official information apart from the announcement of the project, it’s expected that Lionsgate will partner with one of the leading Japanese animation studios to create this exciting new series. So here’s a look at some of the acclaimed animation studios that are likely to work on the series.
A1 Pictures
A1 Pictures is at the top of the list because they already have an anime very close toJohn Wickin premise, which isLycoris Recoil.Lycoris Recoilwas one of the best anime of 2022 and here’s howCrunchyrolldescribes it: “For these peaceful days――there’s a secret behind it all. A secret organization that prevents crimes: DA - Direct Attack. And their group of all-girl agents: Lycoris. This peaceful everyday life is all thanks to these young girls. The elite Chisato Nishikigi is the strongest Lycoris agent of all time. Alongside is Takina Inoue, the talented but mysterious Lycoris. They work together at one of its branches–Café LycoReco.”
The series will give you a great story and even greater gun fun, which can perfectly reflect theJohn Wickanime.
MAPPA Studio
Mappa Studio is second on the list because, at this point, they pick up just about everything. Should they pick it up? No, but if they did, you should know Studio Mappa is of excellent quality and filled with many outstanding workers. Studio Mappa has worked on anime likeAttack on Titan,Vinland SagaSeason 2, andJujutsu Kaisen. Not only are they great with the source material, but their animation style may be more familiar to many American viewers, which is certainly a point in their favor. However, the only drawback is the possibility of oversaturation.
Mappa already does a lot of work, to the point that it can be seen as unfair to the employees, so even if they can be an excellent fit for the Wickverse, it might just be one thing too many for the studio.
Madhouse Studio
Madhouse Studios might be the sleeper on this list, but they will give you heat almost every time from shows likeBlack Lagoon(Another series similar in vibes toJohn Wick),Hellsing Ultimate, andTrigun. Also, the studio is known for its movie-quality animation and storytelling. Of course, that would ultimately depend on the budget. Some of the best (and underrated) examples of their work includePerfect Blue,Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, andPaprika. Madhouse Studio might be the most flexible because it gives you so much content; if Lionsgate wants to provide them with a reasonable budget, the series could be on par with iconic shows likeTrigun, or even better.
Production I.G
Production I.G. is fantastic when it comes to emotional storytelling with titles likeRun with the Wind,Bunny Drop, andMoribito: Guardian of the Spiritas prime examples. But while that is important to the world ofJohn Wick, Production I.G. can also go hard with its action and worldbuilding, as evidenced by its work onGhost in the Shell,Psycho-Pass, and early seasons ofAttack on Titan. Production I.G is another perfect candidate for aJohn Wickseries, considering the sheer talent in this studio.
Wit Studio
Last but not least, Wit Studio is a studio that is constantly compared to Mappa, which is fine because these two studios are on the same level. Wit Studio also would be the perfect choice for theJohn Wickseries. Wit Studio perfectly combines action and story to fit the series they are working on; no one series is like the other in their library; whether it is something as creative asRanking of Kingsor something more grounded likeVinland SagaSeason 1, Wit will never let you down with their content. Much likeJohn Wickis all about adapting to his situation, Wit Studios is all about adapting to their stories.
Where You Can Watch the ‘John Wick’ Movies and ‘The Continental’
It’ll be a while before we get to see theJohn Wickanime series. So, in the meantime, how about catching up with the rest of the franchise? you may now stream the first threeJohn Wickmovies and the prequel seriesThe ContinentalonPeacock, whileJohn Wick: Chapter 4is available for streaming onStarz. Here’s a quick look at each of these chapters, with their official synopses, links to watch them, and more:
John Wick (2014)
Watch on Peacock
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
John Wick: Chapter 2
Legendary hitman John Wick is forced out of retirement again by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins' guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome, where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019)
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick (2023)
The Continental
The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
Watch on Starz
