Constantine starring Keanu Reeves was first released in 2005 and made $230 million in the box office, over double its initial budget of only $100 million. The movie revolved around the character of John Constantine and although much loved by the fans, it was criticized against Reeves’ role of Neo in The Matrix Trilogy.
Keanu Reeves’ Constantine was directed by Francis Lawrence and was only able to bag a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film took a hit in the eyes of the critics and hence it did not get any further story continuation. This however did not stop the growth of the character himself.
John Constantine; The Fame of the Hellblazer
John Constantine may not have found his place on the silver screen but he sure did prove his exorcism skills as portrayed by Matt Ryan in Constantine the series. Although the series only had one season, Ryan then continued to play the character in the CW show Legends of Tomorrow; as well as voicing the character in many animated works.
The latest portrayal of the character would be a gender swapped version as played by Jenna Coleman in The Sandman. Initially thought out to be the ancestor of John Constantine, the show by Neil Gaiman switched the gender of the character and renamed her Johanna Constantine.
John Constantine became an integral part of Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow and Ryan continued to reprise this role.
The Return of John Constantine
Warner Bros. Discovery has recently greenlit a sequel for the movie seeing its rising fame and so as the actors. Although there were rumors pertaining Keanu Reeves looking for a role in the MCU, that does not seem to be the case as he will now be seen wearing the character’s signature overcoat again.
The movie is set to be directed by Francis Lawrence again and would be produced by Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella along with Akiva Goldsman, who will also write the script for the same.
Although having a reboot in the works for some time, Keanu Reeves’ return to fame was enough for WBD to instead go for the sequel with the actor.
See Also: After 17 Years, Rotten Tomatoes Finally Gives 2005’s Constantine a Heartfelt Apology
Francis Lawrence’s Connection With Constantine
Lawrence was at first a music video director with Constantine being his debut in the film industry. He then went on to direct Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 Part 2. He is also working on the spin off movie The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes.
With the sequel for Constantine now in the works as well, the director is all set to bring Reeves’ version of the character back to life.
Source: CBR
