John Wick 4 has finished filming – and the title has apparently been revealed by a wrap gift.
Actor Shamier Anderson posted some behind the scenes pictures to Instagram from the production, including a photo with stars Keanu Reeves and Donnie Yen, as well as director Chad Stahelski. One picture in particular, though, features a bag emblazoned with the words John Wick 4: Hagakure.
Hagakure is a book by the samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo, and the title translates to 'hidden by the leaves.' Yamamoto was a retainer to Nabeshima Mitsushige, who ruled part of Japan, and the book is based on their conversations in the early 1700s.
The book is a warrior's guide, and is famous for the phrase "the way of the warrior is death." While that might sound bleak, Professor Kasaya Kazuhiko explains that "this phrase is not intended as a compulsion to die. Rather, it teaches that, through a constant consciousness of death, it is possible to achieve a state of freedom that transcends life and death, whereby 'it is possible to perfectly fulfill one's calling as a warrior.'" (H/T IGN) Those themes sound like a perfect fit for the John Wick franchise.
Anderson joins a cast that includes the returning Reeves as the titular assassin, Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King, Ian McShane as Winston, and Lance Reddick as Charon. Newcomers in the lineup include Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Rina Sawayama, and Hiroyuki Sanada.
John Wick 4 is slated for release May 27, 2022. Reeves can next be seen onscreen in the upcoming The Matrix Resurrections, which arrives this December 22.
While you wait, check out our roundup of the next few months' major movie release dates to start planning those theater trips.
