It’s been three years since we last checked in on Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, although had things gone according to plan, the assassin’s next cinematic adventure would have come out on May 21. Alas, the pandemic forced John Wick: Chapter 4 to be pushed back a year, but now production is mere weeks away from kicking off. Ahead of that, it’s been announced who will be the first new face to join Reeves on the new John Wick movie: Rina Sawayama.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will mark Rina Sawayama’s feature film acting debut, as she’s currently famous as a pop superstar. No details about her role in Chapter 4 have been revealed, but here’s what director Chad Stahelski said about her involvement to Deadline:
I’m so glad to have Rina on board to make her feature film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4. She’s an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film.
Rina Sawayama jumped into the music game while studying politics, psychology and sociology at Cambridge’s Magdalene College, which included performing in a hip hop group called Lazy Lion. By 2013, Sawayama began her solo career with the song “Sleeping in Waking,” and her hit singles from more recent years include “STFU!,” “XS,” “Bad Friend,” “Lucid” and “Chosen Family,” the latter of which was a duet with Elton John. Although John Wick: Chapter 4 is Sawayama first movie, she already has a little acting experience under her belt playing Layla Valentine in the Idris Elba-led Netflix series Turn Up Charlie.
Needless to say that John Wick: Chapter 4 will introduce a lot of people Rina Sawayama who aren’t familiar with her music. It’s anyone’s guess how she factors into the action movie, although given the crowd John Wick runs with, we can logically assume she’ll be an assassin/someone affiliated with this society of criminals. Whether Sawayama will be an ally to John or an enemy operative working for The High Table remains to be seen.
Because John Wick: Chapter 4 will soon begin rolling cameras in counties like France, Germany and Japan, it stands to reason other new actors joining Rina Sawayama will be announced over the next several weeks. As far as familiar John Wick faces go, Ian McShane is expected to reprise Winston, who, after coming to a parley with The High Table’s Adjudicator in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. shot John numerous times, resulting in him falling off The Continental’s roof (although there was almost certainly more to this action than meets the eye). It’s also a good bet we’ll reunite with Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, who had John delivered to him after his fall and indicated he wanted to work with the main protagonist to take The High Table down.
Behind the scenes, Chad Stahelski will be sitting in John Wick: Chapter 4’s director’s chair, just as he did with the first three movies. Conversely, screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who also worked on the first three John Wick movies, did not return for the fourth installment. Instead, Michael Finch tackled Chapter 4’s screenplay. Originally Chapter 4 was supposed to shoot back-to-back with John Wick: Chapter 5, but now the latter project will film at a later date.
John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on May 27, 2022. While we wait for more news about its progress, learn what movies are coming out later this year in our 2021 release schedule.
