Hiroyuki Sanada is currently promoting his upcoming action movie Bullet Train, which has an all-star cast playing individual assassins who are all ‘coincidentally’ on the same train, for reasons which unfold over the course of the run-time.
Speaking about the footage of John Wick: Chapter 4 shown at San Diego Comic-Con to Collider, Sanada said; “the footage showed the relationship between John Wick [Keanu Reeves] and I [Sanada’s character Shimazu]. So, I worked with Keanu before in 47 Ronin and the kind of relationship we have, with knowing each other a long time, we could use that chemistry and bring it into the movie. So, that’s a big hint I think.”
In 2013’s 47 Ronin, Sanada plays the leader of the Ronin and is in a mentorship role with Reeves’ Kai. This could be the hint that Sanada is referring to, regarding the relationship he will have with John Wick in the fourth chapter. John Wick fans have been disappointed by the much-delayed fourth installment, which has been pushed back several times, like many other movies since the pandemic started.
As well as Sanada, other new additions to the cast for the fourth chapter include; Bill Skarsgård, Clancy Brown, Donnie Yen, and Scott Adkins. Laurence Fishburne and Ian McShane will be making a return to the franchise. Filming has reportedly taken place in the US, Europe, and Japan.
Hiroyuki Sanada has worked in Japanese film and television since he was a child in the 1960s. He started to make the transition to English-language movies with 2003’s The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. He appeared in Danny Boyle’s Sunshine (2007) and the Wachowski’s Speed Racer (2008). Before Bullet Train, his most recent movie was Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.
While we wait for more news regarding John Wick: Chapter 4, check out our guide to the best thriller movies.