Constantine is getting a sequel over 17 years later

The rumors and wishes have been circulating for a while but according to Deadline, 2005’s Constantine is getting a sequel. The film will re-team Keanu Reeves and director Francis Lawrence. The original was Lawrence’s debut film as director.

Akiva Goldsman will write the screenplay and produce the film alongside J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella.

Constantine was released in 2005 and went on to earn $230.9 million worldwide on a $100 million budget. It was generally considered not a success when originally released but has gone on to build a cult following.

Reeves plays the main character Constantine, based on the DC Comics character. Constantine is a supernatural exorcist/demonologist who has made his own deals with devils. The character has been depicted in numerous media beyond comics. Matt Smith portrayed the character on television on multiple shows and voiced the character in animated films. A new Constantine television series was also in the works for HBO Max also from J.J. Abrams. Variety reports that project is dead due to this film but may be resurrected down the road somewhere else.

The announcement is particularly interesting as Warner Bros. Discovery has been in a bit of a shuffle shelving projects and looking for someone to oversee the DC division. The company has talked about a 10 year plan, it’s unclear where this falls in that.