After 17 years of anticipation and fan requests, the 2005 filmConstantine,which featured Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, and Tilda Swinton, is finally getting a sequel by way of Warner Bros. Pictures in conjunction with Weed Road Pictures.
Constantinetells the story of John Constantine, a prolific confidence trickster, exorcist, and magician plagued by both figurative and literal demons. In the 2005 film, he races against his impending death, trying to save his soul from damnation by stopping demons from crossing over to earth and meddling in supernatural battles. The movie was based on the comic book character John Constantine fromDCcomics, which released his 300-issue solo seriesHellblazerthrough its Vertigo imprint from 1988 to 2013, switching to the main DC imprint after that.
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Much to the delight of fans of the original movie,Deadlinereports that the sequel has been confirmed for production by Warner Bros. Pictures Group, with co-Chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy overseeing the deal. This new project will bring back beloved star of theMatrixfranchise and household name Reeves to reprise his lead role as the titular con-man, as well as Francis Lawrence, who made his directorial debut on the 2005 project. The first movie grossed $200 million worldwide in box office earnings andConstantineis considered an underrated gem by many.
Other behind-the-scenes names that have been confirmed for the supernatural thriller includeTitansco-developer Akiva Goldsman of Weed Road Pictures, who will write the screenplay and serve as the producer alongsideaccomplished filmmaker J.J. Abramsand his Bad Robot head of motion pictures Hannah Minghella. The project has also been ascribed co-executive producers in the persons of Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Erwin Stoff. While no other actors on the project have been announced, there’s no worry as to whether they’ll be in good hands on the set.
A sequel has been in demand for over a decade, withReeves indicating interest in returning as Constantine. With the monumental success of theJohn Wickfranchise adding to his already impressive list of projects, which includes theMatrixandBill and Tedfranchises, Reeves is certainly a box office draw and a confidence-inspiring choice for the lead.
It is worth noting that the role was recast for the 13-episode NBC series of the same name that began in October of 2014 with Matt Ryan in the main role. Ryan’s performance was well received, with some even making a case for him being the better John Constantine. While Reeves, who is represented by WME, Sugar23, and Ziffren Brittenham, certainly deserves to reprise the role and Ryan was met with overwhelming approval, others who might have been up for consideration were not so fortunate, with some fans going so far as to send hatefulmessages to his rumored replacement Sope Dirisuearlier this year.
