Chad Stahelski

Stahelski has been with the series since the beginning, when he and David Leitch first introduced us to John Wick.

Yeah, we’re thinking he’s got a Starz subscription. The universe of John Wick is about to blow up, as Starz confirms that a Continental TV series based on the infamous assassins’ hotel is officially in the works with Keanu Reeves producing.

John Wick is back again… again. Keanu Reeves’ immortal hitman will come out of retirement once more in John Wick: Chapter Three, which Lionsgate has officially announced will hit theaters May 17, 2019.

Details of the John Wick franchise future have been hard to come by, especially for a TV tie-in, but consider the assassin’s next stay booked. Director Chad Stahelski reveals that a John Wick TV series would likely explore the deadly Continental hotel, and perhaps feature a cameo from Wick himself.

John Wick is the gift that keeps on giving, and by ‘giving,’ we mean ‘shooting fifteen dudes within sixty seconds.’ The sequel stood tall at the box office, delighted audiences, and wowed critics, and now that franchising has been deemed a safe option for the series, more is in the works.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That seems to be the motto of the production team behind both John Wicks, as they’re bringing back their star, their director, and now their screenwriter for the third go-round. Derek Kolstad, who penned both John Wick and John Wick Chapter 2 is back on the team for John Wick 3.

Because John Wick is terrible at retiring (and because Chapter 2 left him in quite a sticky situation that whole worldwide bounty thing and all), director Chad Stahelski is already working on the script for a third movie, and he’s very excited about all the possibilities. Wick is not part of a franchise, so all the series really depends on is Keanu Reeves’ availability and the ability of the writers and director to come up with another idea.

In 2014, a pair of veteran stunt coordinators introduced the world to John Wick, a former assassin who rages out of retirement to seek revenge on the man who killed his puppy and stole his car. With action as sharp and seemingly seamless as the impeccable suits worn by its eponymous protagonist, John Wick reinvigorated a genre bloated with CGI and dominated by implausibly acrobatic vehicles. In 2017, Keanu Reeves is back with John Wick: Chapter 2, a righteous follow-up that’s bigger and maybe not better, but just as good as its predecessor.

When actors move behind the camera, they bring a new perspective to the directing process, one that’s often more character-driven; more verbose than visual. In 2014, we experienced what happens when a stunt coordinator moves behind the camera, and the result was a glorious action film as sharp as its titular protagonist. Chad Stahelski and David Leitch pumped decades of stunt experience into John Wick, which cast the immortal Keanu Reeves as a would-be retired assassin out for revenge. Two years later, Stahelski took on the second chapter of John Wick’s journey on his own, delivering a fitting follow-up that’s just as lit as its predecessor.

John Wick fans have yet to take in the majesty of Keanu Reeves’ return to the role for Chapter 2, but it’s safe to say the eternally un-retiring hitman isn’t saying goodnight after one sequel. So it is, that franchise helmers Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad have an eye toward a John Wick TV series, potentially exploring the character’s early days.