Lionsgate and John Wick aficionado Chad Stahelski are taking their working relationship to the next level after the stuntman-turned-premiere filmmaker inked a multi-year producing deal with the studio focusing on action films. Per today’s official press release, the announcement comes just weeks after Stahelski signed on to direct a reimagination of the Highlander franchise as his next feature film while assuming creative oversight of the Highlander and John Wick franchises across film, television, and all multimedia platforms. The director and his team at 87Eleven Entertainment have taken the helm in designing a comprehensive multiplatform content strategy for both franchises.
“Chad and his team at 8711 Entertainment are profoundly talented filmmakers and creative collaborators,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “They raise the bar of excellence on every project they take on, and we are looking to Chad to bring us the best new original action projects that we can work on together and turn into the next hits and franchises.”
Reacting to the deal, Stahelski said, “Lionsgate has been my home studio throughout my career as a feature director, so it only makes sense that I would base our film production business with the team that has been such extraordinary partners for so many years.”
Lionsgate knows who butters their bread, and Chad Stahelski makes plenty with projects like the billion-dollar film series John Wick. The latest installment of the John Wick franchise, John Wick Chapter 4, earned $440 million worldwide, with a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The filmmaker’s next project in the John Wick universe is Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas as an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma, which will hit theaters next year under the direction of Len Wiseman.
When he’s not signing contracts, Chad Stahelski is working alongside Henry Cavill on the forthcoming Highlander reboot. The anticipated action film reimagines the 1986 classic starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown about an immortal Scottish swordsman who must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize.”
What do you think about Chad Stahelski setting up shop at Lionsgate? Are you excited about the Highlander reboot? What about Stahelski’s plans to adapt Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima? Let us know in the comments section below.
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