Those eagerly awaiting the fourth installment of the John Wick franchise have been further tantalized after one of its cast members, Shamier Anderson, posted a series of images to mark the completion of filming. One of these images contained a wrap gift with a potential title for the upcoming movie emblazoned on it: Hagakure.
Since John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum delighted fans back in 2019, there has been much anticipation for John Wick 4. Information about the upcoming sequel has been kept tightly under wraps, with little being revealed about the plot or characters. Fans have been awaiting an announcement regarding the title in particular, so this possible leak is a cause for much excitement.
In a post to his Instagram, Canadian-born actor Anderson, whose role is yet to be revealed, announced “That’s a wrap on John Wick 4!” with a series of pictures from his time on set. He outlines what a rewarding experience filming was for him, which apparently began in June and took five months. The images feature Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, and the wrap gift in question. It is a black drawstring bag splashed with the words John Wick 4: Hagakure. Many are taking this to be confirmation of the official title of the movie, whether its reveal was intended or not, and are speculating what it may imply for the film and its place in the John Wick franchise.
The word "Hagakure" means "hidden by the leaves" and is taken from an ancient Japanese text by samurai and former ruler of part of Japan, Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a spiritual and practical guide for warriors and has been historically used in Japan to teach Bushido - the set of moral codes that a samurai should live by. The term makes sense with the casting of Yen, an actor experienced with Tai Chi, Karate, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu. Plus, an intense John Wick 4 video of Anderson training surfaced earlier this year, adding to the anticipation for the action sequences.
John Wick was a surprise hit when it was first released in 2014, amassing over $80 million dollars at the box office - a huge success, making four times its budget. Since then, Lionsgate rushed to capitalize on its popularity with the quick production and release of the second and third installments. Some have questioned how much more can be wrought out of the character and franchise as a whole, especially with a fifth John Wick movie already confirmed. But the franchise has proven itself with each entry providing an exciting expansion of the John Wick cinematic universe that continually keeps fans tantalized.
With filming wrapped and many of its particulars still a closely guarded secret, fans will have to wait and see if the latest chapter is definitely called Hagakure, and whether any more details will be revealed in the coming months.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release in theatres on May 27th, 2022
Source: Instagram | Shamier Anderson