Warner Bros. Pictures
Twenty years ago this month, Keanu Reeves headlined Constantine, a theatrical adaptation of DC’s Hellblazer comic about an occult investigator named John Constantine. Despite previous reports that a sequel was in the works, Constantine 2 has failed to escape Hollywood’s development Hell. But according to Reeves, the sequel may finally be ready to go forward.
“We’ve been trying to make this film for over a decade,’ Reeves told Inverse. “We just recently put a story together and pitched it to DC Studios and they said, ‘OK.’ So, we’re going to try and write a script.”
Back in September 2022, Deadline reported that Constantine 2 was in the works with Reeves returning alongside Constantine director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who produced the original film. The movie made several changes to the source material to accommodate the casting of Reeves, including changing his nationality from British to American and giving him dark hair instead of blond.
Please enable Javascript to view this content
The first film’s story revolved around Constantine’s attempt to help Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) discover why her twin sister committed suicide. In the process, Constantine and Dodson discovered a plan to unleash Hell on Earth. Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Djimon Hounsou had supporting roles while Peter Stormare memorably appeared as Lucifer.
Earlier this month, Lawrence told Collider that “we are closer than ever to being able to do a sequel, which is a great thing… We have gone through a bunch of the comics over the years and looked at things.” He added that Constantine 2 has been “in the back of our minds for 20 years and just kind of percolating on ideas, and stories and characters we love, and ideas we love.”
DC Studios has yet to formally announce Constantine 2. If it goes forward, it will remain separate from the newly rebooted DC Universe movies, which will begin with the premiere of James Gunn’s Superman on July 11.
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
3 Keanu Reeves Netflix movies you need to watch now
His down-to-earth off-screen personality aside, fans have embraced Keanu Reeves as a cult-classic action and comedy actor in the last decade. He’s undoubtedly had a resurgence in recent years thanks to the lucrative and continued success of the over-the-top John Wick action series, with Reeves and director Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 earning universal critical acclaim and becoming the highest-grossing installment in the franchise thanks to a $432 million box office haul.
And while Netflix’s backlog is rather thin when it comes to the actor’s filmography, it has a unique mix of movies for subscribers to stream. Whether it’s the corny Eastern fantasy of 47 Ronin or his supporting role in the endearing romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe, there are a few noteworthy Keanu Reeves additions to Netflix.
47 Ronin (2013)
This notorious Keanu Reeves action movie is popular on Netflix. Here’s why you should watch it
One of the joys of Netflix is that films that previously failed to find an audience in theaters will sometimes get a second chance to capture the viewers that eluded them the first time. Such is the case with 47 Ronin, the 2013 action film starring Keanu Reeves. At the time of this post, 47 Ronin has risen to No. 4 on Netflix’s top 10 most popular movies of the week list. And if you haven’t seen it yet, we’re here to tell you why 47 Ronin is worth watching on Netflix.
The film 47 Ronin is loosely inspired by a true story from 17th-century Japan in which a lord was forced to commit suicide by one of his political enemies. In response, 47 of the lord’s disgraced samurai hatched a long-term plan to avenge their fallen master, even though they knew the attempt was illegal and that they would be put to death if they succeeded. The film adds fantasy elements to the story, but the most important addition was Reeves himself.
47 Ronin has one of Keanu Reeves’ best performances
The best Keanu Reeves action movies, ranked
What makes a great action hero? Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (FUBAR) relied on their strength and physicality. Jackie Chan (Rush Hour) and Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport) used martial arts to their advantage. Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Kurt Russell (Escape from New York) proved that wittiness and toughness go a long way. Now, most action stars in 2023 wear costumes in superhero movies.
Then, there’s Keanu Reeves (John Wick), who might be the most unlikely action star of all time, even more than Willis. At first glance, Reeves is a nice, handsome everyman you wouldn’t expect to take down a criminal organization or save the world. His stoic, calming presence combined with his hardworking persona transforms Reeves into a believable hero. But make no mistake about it, Reeves is an action star and one of the best in Hollywood since 1990.
