The next chapter of John Wick is starting to take shape. Pop singer Rina Sawayama has been added to the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4, for a role that’s yet to be disclosed.
The news comes courtesy of Deadline, who confirmed the Japanese-British musician is making the jump to feature films for the Keanu Reeves-led sequel. Sawayama has some TV work under her belt, having played Layla Valentine in Turn Up Charlie, a Netflix comedy series co-created by Idris Elba and Gary Reich that ran for one season in 2019. Her debut album, Sawayama, was released last year, spawning hit singles ‘XS’, ‘STFU!’, and ‘Chosen Family’, featuring Elton John.
The fourth film in the John Wick series was originally planned to be out on May 21, 2021, but pandemic-related delays caused it to be moved into 2022. Chad Stahelski is staying on as director, with Shay Hatten and Michael Finch writing the script, and, of course, Keanu Reeves in the titular role as the retired hitman that’s burning everything down because former peers just wouldn’t let him be.
“I’m so glad to have Rina on board to make her feature film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4,” Stahelski stated on Sawayama’s casting. “She’s an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film.”
The John Wick movies have gone from strength to strength since the first arrived to melt everyone’s faces off. After John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the story could go any which way, now that John’s, well, if you know, you know. A fifth was meant to be filmed at the same time as Chapter 4, but delays had Lionsgate decide to push on with just the one for now. Ballerina, a female-led spinoff, is in development, as is a prequel TV series based on the Continental, the hotel hub the hit-people of the world use in the movies.
Watch Sawayama’s music video for STFU! above – it’s a bit of a banger.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is due to start filming this summer, for a theatrical release date of May 27, 2022