The world of John Wick is expanding, and a new project will pull back the curtain on one of the most mysterious pieces of lore in the life of the enigmatic assassin. An anime prequel series is now in the works, with creator and John Wick director Chad Stahelski revealing that the project will explore the “impossible task” that has been alluded to throughout the franchise and allowed Wick to leave the life of a killer behind.

Discussing the anime series (which is being developed alongside a spin-off for Donnie Yen’s character, Caine, and a live-action TV show titled Under the High Table) with THR, Stahelski was asked if it’s true that the prequel will reveal details of Wick’s impossible task, to which he replied…

“Ish. You’re pretty right on, but it’s animated fun. It’s meant to be fun. Some of the prequels and sequels that you see in other franchises, we’re not meant to be built that way. We just want to have fun. We want to have fun with the Wick world, but we’ve already capped it on one end [with John Wick: Chapter 4], so let’s go back and use a different medium.”

This “impossible task” was first mentioned in the very first John Wick, with the hitman’s completion of the mysterious mission one of the reasons why the Russian crime boss Viggo Tarasov is so terrified of the former Baba Yaga. While details of the task remain unknown, it is thought by many that Wick was charged with killing all of Tarasov’s rivals in one night. The crucial question, really, is do we need to know? Or will the prequel anime remove some of the John Wick mystique?

Keanu Reeves Will Be Involved in the Development of the John Wick Spin-Offs

No doubt assuaging some of these worries is the fact that both Stahelski and Keanu Reeves are heavily involved in not just the anime series, but every future John Wick project. As Stahelski explained…

“So we all decided, “OK, well let’s just have it go through me as a stop-gate.” We have three new things coming up: an anime feature, a TV show, a new spinoff [Donnie Yen’s Caine]. So Keanu and I are still very active on all that, and we didn’t want to get so big that we lost sight of what really makes John Wick, John Wick. So whether it’s the pinball machine or the anime feature film or the new TV show that we’re working on, at least it still comes through us. Every time I get something on my desk, the first person I call is Keanu, and the second person I call is Basil. It’s the same Holy Trinity.”

Related John Wick 5 Chances Get Honest Answer From Director Chad Stahelski The John Wick franchise is still expanding, but that probably won’t include another direct sequel…at least not yet.

Alongside the anime and TV series, the Donnie Yen-led spin-off is also now in active development, with Stahelski revealing that the highly anticipated action outing is now being written.

“These are all going on at the same time. The Donnie Yen feature, we’re building it right now. We’re in the middle of writing it right now.”

First up, though, is From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, which finds Ana de Armas joining the franchise as aspiring assassin Eve Macarro, who embarks on a mission of revenge against the people who murdered her father.

Release Date March 24, 2023 Format Theatrical Studio 87Eleven Entertainment, Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment Tagline Baba Yaga. Franchise John Wick Expand