Though it’s years between entries, the “John Wick” films take place in rather close proximity to each other on screen. Keanu Reeves’ assassin takes down waves of highly-trained enemies even as the fights take a physical toll.
The time between the first and second film seems quite short, whilst the third film starts directly from the events of the second. Thus despite all the globe-hopping and fights, Wick has been engaged in the fight for his life for only a relatively short amount of time.
With “John Wick: Chapter 4” hitting screens, director Chad Stahelski has clarified the timeline of the films a little bit with Slashfilm.
Turns out there’s a serious half-year gap between the end of the third and the start of the fourth film – giving Wick time to recover from his fall off The Continental’s roof:
“We figured the first three movies almost happened in like a week, week and a half, somewhere in there. That’s my version, I think Keanu’s is a little different, and I think [‘Chapter 4’] is like six months later. So within a year, I think it all happens. I would say almost within seven to eight months.”
That half-year gap will be partly covered by “Ballerina,” the upcoming Ana de Armas-led spin-off film which takes place between the third and fourth “John Wick” films. Shay Hatten penned the script for that film and explains to Screen Rant how the spinoff will partly unpack Wick’s origin story growing up with the Ruska Roma crime family:
“Ballerina has just been a completely fascinating journey for me overall because it started as a spec that was not related to the John Wick movies six years ago. And then just kind of got brought in and then Chad was kind enough to let us kind of set it up in three by showing the ballet theater.
By nature of that, it kind of teed up this story really well. But it’s really cool because that story [wasn’t] attached to the John Wick universe; it was set in a different part of the world.
The original script was set [in the] Swiss Alps, which is territory that the John Wick movies have not touched. So, I think in a great way, it meant that we could kind of stick to the original story of that script from Ballerina without stepping on the toes of John Wick.
But also it’s a character who we know went to the same ballet academy as John. I think in Ballerina you’ll get to see some of the hints of what John experienced during his origins in that place, but through the eyes of a different character. It still solves some of the answers of Wick, just through the eyes of a new character.”
Reeves is confirmed to be appearing in the film alongside other franchise returnees like Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick in roles that are said to be cameos. That film is expected to be released next year.
