It’s not looking good for Constantine 2. Director Francis Lawrence has been developing a sequel to his 2005 DC movie. Keanu Reeves was also on board to reprise his role as John Constantine. However, a lot has changed at DC Studios since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over. In light of that, it looks like they’re taking the franchise in a new direction.
According to Deadline, Francis Galluppi (The Last Stop in Yuma County) is set to pen a new movie centered on John Constantine. The project is said to be in the very early stages at DC Studios. No casting details or a possible director have been named at this time. The bigger thing, for now, is what this likely means for the long-discussed Constantine 2.
Released in 2005, Constantine was at best a modest success. It pulled in $230 million at the box office against a $100 million budget. However, it’s since become a favorite amongst DC fans. Reeves has also become a much bigger star, thanks to the John Wick franchise. That led to official development of the sequel a couple of years ago. It now looks like it may be dead in the water.
DC Studios recently released the R-rated Clayface, which is coming up on $90 million at the box office against solid reviews. It seems likely that the studio is going to want to explore further, darker, smaller-scale stories with other characters. John Constantine, aka Hellblazer, is a great candidate. Warner Bros. has long tried to get this character going again. A Constantine TV series produced by J.J. Abrams was in the works at HBO Max. It didn’t move forward, but DC sees this character as very valuable.
Here is the synopsis for 2005’s Constantine.
“Just beneath the streets of modern-day Los Angeles lies a world of demons … and angels.Globetrotting misfit and renegade occultist John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally been to hell and back, enters this world to help a skeptical policewoman investigate the mysterious suicide of her twin sister in Constantine.”
There is a question of whether or not Reeves could return to the role for Galluppi’s new movie. Reeves has expressed a desire to reprise the role, more than once. But it’s also likely that DC Studios would like a slightly younger actor who could play the part for years to come. They also seem to have a lot of faith in Galluppi, who recently wrapped up work on Evil Dead Wrath. It’s due to hit theaters in 2028. We’lll see how it all shakes out.
The new Constantine movie doesn’t have a release date but stay tuned.
What do you think? Are you excited for the new movie? Or would you prefer Constantine 2 with Keanu Reeves? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Instagram!
