John Wick’s biggest off-screen mystery is finally getting a movie, with Keanu Reeves returning
Keanu Reeves is back for an animated John Wick prequel about the Impossible Task, now greenlit and in preproduction.
One of the most talked-about gaps in the John Wick story is finally being turned into a film. Keanu Reeves is officially set to return for an animated prequel that digs into the mission fans have only heard about until now.
Lionsgate has greenlit an adult animated John Wick prequel centred on the so-called Impossible Task, with Reeves signed on to voice the character and produce the film. The project was greenlit on November 5 and is already in preproduction.
The story is set before the 2014 original and focuses on the killing assignment that allowed Wick to leave the assassin world and build a life with Helen. In the first film, Viggo Tarasov says Wick won his freedom by wiping out Tarasov’s rivals in a single night. Tarasov did not expect him to survive, but Wick did, helping secure Tarasov’s power in New York before leaving that life behind.
John Wick: Chapter 2 added another key detail to that backstory. It revealed that Santino D’Antonio helped Wick complete the assignment, and Wick gave him a blood-oath marker in return. After Helen’s death, Santino called in that debt and pulled Wick back into another assassination job. This new film puts the mission behind that marker at the centre of the story.
The movie will be directed by Shannon Tindle, whose credits include Ultraman: Rising. The screenplay is being written by Ryan and Kaz Firpo, known for Eternals, replacing previously announced writer Vanessa Taylor.
Reeves is producing alongside franchise producers Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey is also involved. Stahelski, who directed the four main live-action John Wick films, has previously described animation as a way to take the series’ action further than live action can.
The project was first announced at CinemaCon on April 1, 2025, when Reeves was expected to voice Wick. The latest update makes that return official and confirms the film now has a greenlight. Including his appearance in the 2025 Ana de Armas spin-off Ballerina, the prequel would mark Reeves’ sixth film appearance as John Wick.
For fans wondering about the franchise’s future, John Wick: Chapter 5 is still a separate live-action project in development. No release date, official title or additional voice cast has been announced for the animated prequel.
