‘John Wick 4’ Adds in ‘Star Wars’ Alum to Battle Against Keanu Reeves

John Wick 4 has just added a Star Wars alum to its cast, which is already shaping up to deliver an epic battle for Keanu Reeves. According to Deadline, Donnie Yen, who played Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is set to star appear in the forthcoming John Wick film. Yen’s character is an old friend of John’s, and the pair share a similar past and share a lot of the same enemies.

Speaking about Yen’s casting, John Wick director Chad Stahelski said, “We are very lucky to have Donnie Yen join the franchise. I am looking forward to working with him in this exciting new role.” Producer Basil Iwanyk added, “Donnie Yen will bring a vibrant and powerful energy to the franchise. We were determined to bring him on board to John Wick 4 and are thrilled for the opportunity to have such a major talent to collaborate with Keanu.”

In addition to Reeves and Yen, John Wick: Chapter 4 will also star Japanese-British singer, model, and actress Rina Sawayama, who is making her feature film acting debut with the movie. Sawayama’s role is being kept under wraps, per a previous Deadline story, but Stahelski did issue a statement on her casting. “I’m so glad to have Rina on board to make her feature film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4. She’s an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film.”

John Wick: Chapter 4 was written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, and will begin production this month. The film was originally set to shoot back-to-back with John Wick 5, but Lionsgate, the production studio, opted to postpone those plans due to production plans likely attributed to the Covid019 pandemic. John Wick: Chapter 4 will be shot on its own, with a 2022 premiere date, and Chapter 5 will be filmed at a later date.

The first John Wick came out in 2012, and made over $88 million on a budget of less than $30 million. The second film in the franchise — John Wick: Chapter 2 — opened in 2017, and made over $170 million on a $40 million budget. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum premiered in 2019, and raked in a worldwide revenue of more than $325 million on a budget of less than $75 million.

Collectively, the three John Wick films alone have made the franchise over a half-billion dollars. This is on a combined budget of somewhere under $145 million. To say that the franchise is lucrative is quite an understatement.

However, it’s not just financial success that keeps the franchise going as each film has also been increasingly heralded by film critics. As far as Rotten Tomatoes scores go, all three films are Certified Fresh, with John Wick at 87%, John Wick: Chapter 2 at 89%, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum at 90%. In 2017, a five-issue prequel comic book series was released, telling the story of a young John Wick after his prison release.

There is also a forthcoming TV series spin-off, The Continental, which will focus on the franchises’ fictional assassin-hotel. Finally, a film spin-off is in the works, titled Ballerina. Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Suspiria) is reportedly being considered for the lead role.