The latest spin-off set in the John Wick universe just got a glorious update. During Lionsgate’s official panel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson took the stage to announce that Donnie Yen will direct the upcoming Caine spin-off film, which will begin production later this year in Hong Kong. Collider exclusively reported this now-confirmed news at the start of the year during an interview with Caine to promote his latest project, The Prosecutor. The studio has also announced that Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Part II) will pen the script for the currently untitled spin-off. Additional casting is being kept under wraps, as are plot details. Caine’s character first appeared in John Wick: Chapter 4, the 2023 action vehicle that grossed $440 million at the global box office.
This isn’t the only John Wick news to come out of Lionsgate’s panel at CinemaCon 2025. Fogelson also confirmed that the previously-announced John Wick 5 is entering development, with both Keanu Reeves set to star and Chad Stahelski returning to direct. Lionsgate EVP and Head of Global Products and Experiences Jenefer Brown confirmed weeks ago that a fifth installment of John Wick was in the works, but there was no word on Reeves’ involvement at that time. Reeves had previously cast doubt on a potential return as John Wick on several occasions, first on the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 press tour, where he cited knee issues as an obstacle. Reeves later responded to a question about returning as John Wick by simply refuting, “he died,” but as we know now, that wasn’t a strong enough reason to keep him away from one more outing as the Baba Yaga. Lionsgate also announced that the rumored anime prequel movie is officially in the works.
Has Donnie Yen Directed Anything Before?

Donnie Yen may be known for his roles in iconic action flicks such as IP Man and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but he’s also a veteran director with more than 30 years of experience and seven directorial credits under his belt. Caine first made his directorial debut in 1994 on Asian Cop: High Voltage, the unrated action thriller that he also starred in alongside Roy Cheung. He most recently directed the aforementioned Prosecutor film, the legal drama that also doubles as a riveting action thriller. Caine even co-directed the martial arts thriller Sakra with Ka-Wai Kam.
Donnie Yen will officially direct and star in the upcoming Caine spin-off film set in the John Wick universe. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the project.

John Wick: Chapter 4

Release Date

March 24, 2023

Runtime

169 minutes

Writers

Shay Hatten, Michael Finch

Prequel(s)

John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum