The future of DC Studios is already becoming an interesting conversation, and one filmmaker isn’t wasting time explaining why a long-awaited sequel never got off the ground. After years of trying to bring Keanu Reeves back as John Constantine, director Francis Lawrence says the previous DC leadership stood in the way of making it happen. With James Gunn and Peter Safran now stepping away from their leadership positions, Lawrence believes there may finally be another opportunity to get CONSTANTINE 2 moving.
The comments come shortly after DC Studios announced a separate John Constantine movie from EVIL DEAD WRATH filmmaker Francis Galluppi. That news raised questions about the status of the long-promised sequel to Lawrence’s 2005 film starring Reeves, particularly after years of development discussions involving the original creative team.
Speaking with Collider while promoting THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, Lawrence confirmed that a script and story are already in place. He also made it clear that the people involved have remained interested in making the sequel, but that getting approval from the studio has been the problem.
“We’ve been trying to make CONSTANTINE 2 for 20-something years, and we have an idea, and we have a script, and we’ve been wanting to make it, and the people that were at DC were an impediment to us making it,” Lawrence explained.
The filmmaker went on to say that the recent leadership change has made the team more hopeful about the project’s chances. Lawrence emphasized that the obstacles haven’t come from him, Reeves or producer Akiva Goldsman. He also confirmed that J.J. Abrams remains involved in the effort.
“So, we are now more hopeful as of yesterday’s news that maybe now there will be another opportunity,” Lawrence said. “We all want to do it. So, it’s really going to be people at Paramount, Warner, whoever’s running DC now, getting everybody on board to say, like, ‘Hey, we can do a sequel of our version of CONSTANTINE.’”
That last point is worth keeping in mind. Lawrence isn’t announcing that CONSTANTINE 2 has received the green light, and there is still no official production commitment. However, his comments offer a clearer picture of why the sequel has remained stuck in development for so long. The original film has maintained a dedicated following since its release, and Reeves has repeatedly expressed interest in returning to the role.
The timing is particularly interesting given the announcement that Gunn and Safran are leaving their positions as DC Studios co-CEOs. Skydance has appointed former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham as the studio’s new president and chief creative officer, with the transition scheduled for December 1. Gunn and Safran will return to their creative work and remain involved with projects already in progress.
We’ll keep ya posted if we hear anything more on Constantine 2.
