Summary
- Donnie Yen's Caine, the spin-off movie set in the John Wick universe, is entering production later this year.
- Directed by and starring Donnie Yen, the Caine spin-off will bring a new "Hong Kong-style action thriller" to the audience.
- A fan-favorite character's return from John Wick Chapter 4 confirms the timeline of the upcoming spin-off movie.
John Wick Chapter 4 came out in 2023, and since then, Lionsgate has announced two spin-off films that every fan of the franchise is desperately waiting for. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, is now closer to its theatrical release. At the same time, another spin-off around Caine (Donnie Yen) will soon enter the production stage.
Donnie Yen made his flamboyant debut as Caine in John Wick Chapter 4, and he is definitely an intriguing character who deserves his own standalone movie. Caine is a blind assassin who was once a friend of John Wick, but some circumstances led him to turn against his old friend. There's a lot of mystery around this character, and the community has a lot of questions around the upcoming film, but the biggest of all is about the spin-off's timeline. While the details on Caine are thin, a recent casting confirmation may have shed some light on the film's timeline.
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Rina Sawayama's Return As Akira Confirms Caine Spin-Off's Timeline
Caine Will Possibly Be Set After The Events Of John Wick Chapter 4
Caine wasn't the only new and intriguing character we saw in Chapter 4. Akira, daughter of Osaka Continental's manager Koji Shimazu, also made her debut in the film. As reported by Variety, Rina Sawayama will return as Akira in Donnie Yen's Caine, which is set to enter production later this year.
Akira's return in Caine is interesting, as it confirms that the spin-off's story will be set after the events of John Wick 4, when Caine is freed from the services of the High Table and Akira makes an attempt on Caine's life. In the post-credits scene of Chapter 4, Akira pulls out a knife to kill Caine while he walks towards his daughter. But we all know that it won't be that easy to kill the blind assassin, and Akira will have to do better to get her revenge. Akira's story is far from over, and it won't be over until she gets vengeance for her father's murder. Fortunately, that means we will also get to see more of her in the John Wick universe, starting with the Caine spin-off. As Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said to Variety:
Caine and Akira have unfinished business, and this next chapter in their stories will be explosive.
Even though we didn't see her for very long in Chapter 4, Akira instantly became a fan-favorite character. She followed in her father's footsteps and helped Wick survive the countless enemies during the fight at the Osaka Continental. Even though she hated John for stepping inside Osaka Continental, which eventually led to Shimazu Koji's death at the hands of Caine, she didn't want to insult her father's friendship by going after Wick. She left the fate of Wick in the hands of the Table, but she wasn't ready to let go of her grudge against Caine. On Rina Sawayama's return as Akira, Yen told Variety:
Most delighted to welcome Rina back into this new, exciting journey with us. It will be my pleasure and attempt to elevate her amazing character that left us mesmerized from John Wick: Chapter 4!
Caine finally finds a way to escape the shackles of The Table while also saving his daughter, but it seems like there's much more left to his story. While it's quite possible that we will see a flashback of how Caine turned blind and why the Table separated him from his daughter, the movie won't be a prequel. Akira is out for blood, and her rivalry with Caine will be a major plot point for the upcoming spin-off, but it's hard to say if it will be the only one. The High Table might have let Caine and his daughter go free, but they might still hold some cards. Lionsgate hasn't revealed much about Caine aside from casting details, so fans will have to wait for the official trailer to get a better idea of the story.
The Caine Spin-Off Will Get Into The Production Stage Later This Year
Donnie Yen Will Be Directing The Spin-Off Movie
While From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will hit theaters worldwide on June 6, 2025, the Caine spin-off will enter the production stage later this year. The "Hong Kong-style action thriller" will be directed by none other than Donnie Yen himself. Yen is best known for delivering some great action-heavy thrillers, like Ip Man, so the community is indeed excited to see what more he has to offer in the John Wick universe. Lionsgate also confirmed that Mattson Tomlin, who is also working on The Batman Part II, is writing the screenplay for the spin-off.
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Since the movie has yet to enter the production stage, it's difficult to pin a release window. If the production goes smoothly, we can expect Lionsgate to drop the first trailer for Caine next year, with the release date being set for sometime in 2027. Regardless, the universe of John Wick is expanding, and fans have several projects to look forward to, including a prequel anime series that will feature the origin story of the legendary hitman. We all want to see how John killed those men in the bar with a pencil — well, we'll get to see that in the anime format.
Source: Variety
- Created by
- Derek Kolstad
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves
- TV Show(s)
- The Continental
- Movie(s)
- John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, John Wick: Chapter 4
A retired hitman is drawn back into the criminal underworld.
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