Keanu Reeves Will Voice John Wick in Lionsgate's Animated Prequel

Keanu Reeves has officially closed a deal to return as John Wick in Lionsgate's animated prequel movie about the legendary hitman.

The project, first announced in 2025, will recount the character's origins. The story follows Wick as he completes the Impossible Task — killing all of his rivals in a single night — to free himself from his obligation to the High Table (the franchise's ruling criminal syndicate) and earn the right to be with Helen, the love of his life.

Shannon Tindle will direct. Tindle is an animation veteran best known for Netflix's "Ultraman: Rising" and the LAIKA feature "Kubo and the Two Strings." Ryan and Kaz Firpo wrote the script; their credits place them squarely in the big-budget franchise space.

Who is producing the animated John Wick?

The producing team carries over almost entirely from the live-action films. Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, and 87Eleven Entertainment's Chad Stahelski — the core "John Wick" producing unit — will produce alongside Reeves himself. Point Grey, the company behind a string of R-rated comedy hits, joins the franchise for the first time on the new feature.

That lineup matters. Stahelski directed the live-action entries and shaped the franchise's signature action language; keeping him attached suggests the animation won't drift far from the choreography-driven style audiences expect.

Lionsgate's motion picture chair Adam Fogelson framed the project's appeal when it was announced in 2025. "In both animation and the world of 'John Wick,' the possibilities are endless. And there is no 'John Wick' story fans are clamoring for more than the 'Impossible Task,'" Fogelson said. "Shannon's take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation."

What does this change for the franchise?

The franchise is already a billion-dollar property. "John Wick" has grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office across five movies — a tally that includes "Ballerina," the Ana de Armas-led spinoff released as part of the run.

Lionsgate is continuing to expand the series, which revolves around the titular hitman's fight against the High Table. Beyond the animated prequel, the slate includes:

• A fifth live-action "John Wick" film, currently in development
• A standalone adventure based on Donnie Yen's blind assassin Caine

Animation gives the studio a practical advantage here. The Impossible Task happens early in Wick's life, before the events of the first film — animation lets Reeves play a younger version of the character without de-aging effects or recasting.

It also lets the action go further. Animated bodies don't break, and a director known for stylized work like "Kubo and the Two Strings" can stage set pieces no stunt team could safely film. The prequel has no release date yet, but with Reeves locked in and the original producing team attached, it moves from announced project to active production — the clearest sign yet that Lionsgate sees animation as a permanent lane for its most reliable action franchise.