‘Constantine’ Director Francis Lawrence Confirms Sequel Is Still In Development As An R-Rated Elseworlds Movie
JB Augustine
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Reports of a sequel to the 2005 film Constantine starring Keanu Reeves don’t feel like they were that long ago. However, it has been a while since we got a substantial update that was encouraging for its status. This led some to believe that the sequel has stalled and become another victim of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s cleanup at DC Studios.
Keanu Reeves in Constantine (2005), Warner Bros. Pictures
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Well, as of this week, we have an update from the original’s director Francis Lawrence, and it’s good news for the second part’s progress, putting to rest any lingering doubts. Promoting the latest Hunger Games movie he confirmed to the BroBible, that the old team of himself, Keanu Reeves, and writer Akiva Goldsman are working on the story.
“Those kinds of dark DC characters, Vertigo characters, have bounced around, and we’ve tried to gain control. We finally have, and Keanu, I, and Akiva Goldsman, who did the movie together originally, are batting around ideas, but we got sort of halted by the strike,” Lawrence said. “However, we are actively coming up with ideas to create a part two, and it will be…rated R.”
Peter Stormare as Lucifer and Keanu Reeves as John Constantine in Constantine (2005), Warner Bros. Pictures
As Lawrence noted, the project is impacted by present realities on the ground in Hollywood, but involving Gunn and Safran doesn’t appear to be as big an issue as the strikes. They’re involved, he says, “because they’re part of, you know, people who have controlled the rights,” but Constantine 2 “is a project that Akiva, Keanu, and I are doing.”
Lawrence wouldn’t divulge specifics of the plot he, Reeves, and Goldsman are discussing, but he deigned to share John Constantine’s age will be a factor. He explained, “…the idea we have is that we would not be pretending that this is…what happens two weeks after the last Constantine…this is an older version of John Constantine.”
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: (L-R) Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves speak onstage during “Collider”: Directors On Directing Panel At Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate)
Keanu Reeves is getting older and more grizzled, so that is the angle he uses when revisiting past roles like Neo in Matrix Resurrections. John Wick is a major reason for that as the profitable action film series proves the actor is not getting too old for this stuff yet. Depending on when Constantine 2 is made – or if – it might be his ultimate test.
If Swamp Thing is involved, like a previous rumor contends, then we’re talking about the ultimate test of patience for the wino wizard.
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