Constantine 2 director is determined to make the sequel a "real" R-rated movie

Keanu Reeves in Constantine — (Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

Constantine director Francis Lawrence says he's determined to make his upcoming sequel a "real" R-rated movie. Last time around, on the original, the filmmaker adhered to the studios' guidelines in terms of violence and language, yet still somehow earned the adult certificate.

While promoting new Netflix movie Slumberland, Lawrence touched on the recently announced follow-up to the Keanu Reeves-led flick and gave us a clue as to what to expect from the titular exorcist's return.

"The idea is this time, at least for me, is to really go at it and make a real R-rated Constantine which is, I think, what people always wanted originally, not the PG-13 version that just happens to get an R," Lawrence told The Wrap. "One of the biggest things for me about the first one was we followed, per Warner Bros., the rules to make a PG-13 movie in terms of violence, blood, language, sexuality."

"But the ratings board gave us a hard R based on their gray zone of intensity. My big, big regret was that we have an R-rated movie that's really a PG-13 movie," he continued. "And if I was going to have to go have an R, I would have really made an R-rated movie. I would have made it much scarier and much more violent and I would have really made an R-rated movie."

Based on the DC character of the same name, Constantine (2005) sees Reeves bring distrustful demonologist John Constantine to life, as helps a policewoman prove her sister's death was not a suicide, but rather, something supernatural. Peter Stomare, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LaBeouf, and Rachel Weisz also star.

During the interview, Lawrence also revealed his plans to embrace the funnier side of Constantine in the second movie, saying: "I think John Constantine is a funny character in a darkly comic kind of way and I would want to definitely add more of that sarcastic, cynical sense of humor to the story."

News of the sequel first emerged in mid-September, and while a script has yet to be conjured up, we do know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Akiva Goldsman is set to write it. J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella will produce, under the Bad Robot banner, while Reeves will reprise the eponymous role.

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.