Keanu Reeves Is ‘Aching’ to Return For CONSTANTINE 2; New Update From Director Francis Lawrence
Fans of Constantine have been waiting nearly two decades for a sequel, and while progress has been slow, there is some momentum. Director Francis Lawrence and Keanu Reeves recently gave an update on Constantine 2 during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where they reflected on the 20th anniversary of the cult classic.
During the conversation, they were pressed for any concrete news about the sequel. At the 42:50 mark, he asked if a script had been finalized.
Lawrence revealed that DC has officially given them permission to develop Constantine 2, stating: “Akiva (Goldsman) is writing and Keanu and Akiva and I have been collaborating and I think we have some really, really great ideas that we’re super super excited about.”
He added that they’re “pretty close” to having a “workable” script and confirmed the sequel will exist outside James Gunn’s new DC Universe, falling under the Elseworlds banner.
One of the biggest challenges in getting Constantine 2 off the ground, according to Lawrence, has been constant studio shake-ups.
“We have run into a lot of hurdles primarily with regime changes at the studio, and that means both Warner Brothers and DC.”
Because of these management shifts, DC’s darker characters, including John Constantine, have been “bounced around,” delaying the project for years.
Despite the obstacles, Reeves remains excited and passionate about reprising his role as the chain-smoking exorcist, syiang: “What Akiva and Francis have come up with and the ideas, I’m aching to play this guy.”
While Lawrence wouldn’t reveal any plot details, he teased that there’s “definitely room for some recurring characters,” which means we could see the return of familiar faces from the 2005 film.
Though Constantine 2 isn’t quite ready to start shooting yet, it’s great to hear that they do have the greenlight from DC Studios and that the script is almost done. I’m excited to see Reeves step back into this role!