Donnie Yen to Star, Direct and Produce John Wick Spinoff

by Annika April 2, 2025

Action legend Donnie Yen, known for his role of the formidable blind assassin, Caine, in the John Wick spinoff, will now also direct the project. Besides starring and directing, he will also serve as an executive producer. The highly anticipated Lionsgate feature is expected to begin production later this year. The screenplay will be written by Mattson Tomlin, writer of The Batman Part II and Netflix’s adaptation of the Keanu Reeves-created comic book BRZRKR.

Donnie Yen to Star, Direct and Produce John Wick Spinoff

– Action star Donnie Yen will both star in and direct the new John Wick spinoff, where he reprises his role as the blind assassin, Caine.
– The screenplay for the project will be written by Mattson Tomlin, who’s also involved in the upcoming The Batman Part II and Netflix’s adaptation of the Keanu Reeves-created comic BRZRKR.
– The film will continue the story of Caine, a formidable blind assassin forced against his will to kill John Wick, and it will aim to include action sequences that are stylistically modelled on the movies that Yen helped make in hits.

The forthcoming John Wick spinoff will have a dual role for action legend Donnie Yen, both as the star of the series and its director. Yen would be appearing as Caine, the formidable blind assassin that he already played in another Lionsgate production. The action-film icon and director has been associated with several famed Hong Kong martial arts films, including the well-received Ip Man series. Lionsgate made this announcement during its Cinemacon presentation, Tuesday.

For the screenplay, Mattson Tomlin, who is lined up to write The Batman Part II and Netflix’s adaptation of the Keanu Reeves-originated comic strip BRZRKR, has come aboard. The previous screenplay for this spinoff was the work of noted writer Robert Askins.

Lionsgate has set its sights on beginning the production later this year. The project will be produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee from Thunder Road who have previously produced Wick series, as well as Chad Stahelski, the Wick series director, representing his 87Eleven Entertainment banner.

Besides acting and direction, Yen would also serve the project as its executive producer. Extolling the idea of a John Wick-style action film in the signature Donnie Yen style, Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair expressed his enthusiastic support. Aside from Yen’s charisma as a star, Fogelson acknowledged his cinematic directorship and his knack for delivering thoroughly engrossing action movies for an international audience. He expressed his delight in having Yen at the helm to narrate Caine’s exciting story.

North American audience probably knows Yen best from his remarkable performances in movies including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, and Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan. Yen’s work spanning several decades in Hong Kong cinema has earned him international recognition, with films like Flashpoint and Ip Man garnering substantial global success.

Yen has established his own production house, handled action choreography for popular films like Blade II, and has spearheaded direction for successful movies such as The Prosecutor and Sakr.

The new production aspires to incorporate action sequences resonating with the distinctive style trademarked by Yen.

Expressing his excitement about working with Lionsgate again, Yen conveyed his eagerness to elevate the franchise to loftier heights. The storyline specifics for the spinoff are yet to be revealed. However, it’s understood that the narrative will pick up from where Caine, the reluctant killer of Wick, was freed from his obligations to the notorious crime group, the High Table, and look at his life thereafter.

This would be the second spinoff from the Wick series. The first one was Ballerina that featured Ana de Armas as an assassin trained by Ruska Roma, a crime organization also referred to as the Russian Gypsies. This film will release on June 6.