John Wick Franchise Producer Expresses Interest in Doing a Bowery King Spinoff

John Wick franchise producer Basil Iwanyk weighs up the prospects of a possible Bowery King spinoff starring Laurence Fishburne.

With multiple spin-offs either airing or planned since John Wick: Chapter 4, franchise producer Basil Iwanyk has expressed his interest in creating a series centered around the eponymous hitman's partner-in-crime.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Iwanyk teased the prospect of creating a spin-off chronicling Laurence Fishburne's mysterious character, the Bowery King. A long-time associate of Wick, Bowery King has become a fan favorite of franchise viewers, and Iwanyk believes there's legitimacy and intrigue in a potential film or series based on the character -- one who he believes has an interesting backstory. "I like the Bowery King a lot, and I like that world," he said. "We scratched the surface of who he is and who these men are and women, and why they do what they do. I think there's something really cool about these people who make conscious choices to be in the shadows. And be the people that we look through every day when we walk down the street, or we go, 'Oh, this person wants money from me?' I think that's a world that we haven't touched yet, which I think could be really cool and really edgy and rough, dark. I don't know, that is something that I've always been really intrigued with."

The Bowery King is one of the John Wick franchise's most fascinating characters; a former underground crime boss whom the High Table left for dead, leading him to align with Wick. Fishburne's character first appeared in John Wick: Chapter 2 and has been ever-present throughout the franchise ever since. Iwanyk further underlined the potential of exploring the Bowery King through a spin-off production. "All the Bowery King group, they leave an impression on every movie that they're in. Because there's also the guys in The Continental, they're like knights or samurai, it's very formal. And the Bowery King people are crazy and fun and informal. And I think that's a great... I don't know, I have no idea what that world is. We're making this up as we go along. But man, that world intrigues me a lot," he said.

The John Wick franchise expanded following Chapter 4 with the release of The Continental, a TV mini-series based on the eponymous hotel chain featured throughout the film series. Additionally, a female-led spin-off film featuring Ana de Armas, Ballerina, is planned for its theatrical debut on Jun. 7, 2024, examining her central character's thirst for vengeance against her family's murderers.

Chapter 4 proved to be the John Wick franchise's apex. Released this past March, the latest sequel earned a record $440 million in worldwide ticket sales against its $100 million budget. However, with the apparent demise of its titular assassin at the end of the movie, questions remain over the future of the Bowery King and other key characters as Lionsgate develops Chapter 5. Director Chad Stahelski previously stated that Chapter 5 won't be made without lead star Keanu Reeves, though he also hinted that Chapter 4 was the end of the line for Wick.