New Constantine Movie Officially Confirmed After 20 Years, But There’s a Catch

John Constantine is similar to Blade in the sense that he’s always existed on the fringe of his wider comic book canon. Yes he exists in the same wacky universe as Superman and Batman, but his uniquely R-rated adventures always showcase a much grittier side of that universe. Also like Blade, Constantine got his own cult classic movie, but unlike Wesley Snipes‘ bloodsucking anti-hero, he has yet to get a sequel. It seemed like that was finally happening, but now, that movie’s future is uncertain.

The good news is that a new Constantine movie is officially in development! The bad news is it’s not the one fans have been waiting over 20 years for. Deadline revealed tonight that DC Studios is officially pursuing a new Constantine movie from director Francis Galluppi, who is currently working on the next chapter in Sam Raimi‘s beloved horror franchise, Evil Dead Wrath. However, this news has cast doubt on the potential direct sequel to Keanu Reeves‘ 2005 movie, which was reportedly in early development as well with both Reeves and director Francis Lawrence attached. Just last month, reports circulated that the sequel was still in development despite DC’s parent company, Warner Bros., merger with Paramount. DC Studios boss James Gunn even confirmed last year to the Bobatalks podcast that he has discussed a new movie with Reeves “on and off.”

According to Deadline’s report, Galluppi has been tapped as a writer for the new Constantine film, so he won’t necessarily be directing. The report also didn’t specify if this new project is replacing Reeves and Lawrence’s prospective sequel, but it’s no secret that development on the project has been difficult. Gunn confirmed in that aforementioned interview that he hasn’t read a script for Reeves’ new movie yet, and that’s potentially because Reeves reportedly hasn’t been satisfied with a script, at least according to co-star Peter Stormare, who played Satan in the original film.

Four franchises, four completely different ways of getting underneath
your skin. This is the one built out of your particular fear, why it works so well on you, and what
it would leave behind.

Your nightmare does not wait outside the door. It waits for you
to close your eyes, which you are going to have to do eventually, because nobody has ever
won that particular argument.

• Freddy is horror’s cruellest idea: a threat that lives in the one place you cannot
  guard, cannot lock, and cannot avoid forever.
• You are the one who is fine during the film and wide awake at two in the morning. Your
  own head is where this does its damage.
• These films understood exhaustion as a horror engine. The kids on Elm Street do not lose
  because they are weak. They lose because they are tired.
• You can lock every door in the house. You still have to sleep.

Your nightmare is not really the doll. It is the face of the
person you tell, and the way they decide, very kindly, that you have imagined all of it.

• Chucky works precisely because he is absurd. That is the trap: the more accurately you
  describe him, the less anybody is going to believe you.
• You are the one shouting at the screen because the characters are not listening. You
  know that feeling from real life too.
• The franchise is at its best when the adults in the room are the real obstacle, and you
  have met those adults.
• By the time somebody finally believes you, you will have handled most of it on your own.

Your nightmare has your number, knows your name, and has almost
certainly been inside your house before. The worst part is that you already know them.

• Scream is the only one of these where the killer takes the mask off and turns out to be
  somebody who was at the party.
• You are the person who calls the twist out loud before it lands. You watch people the
  same way you watch films.
• The franchise made the rules of horror part of the plot, which means the survivors are
  the ones paying attention. You would be paying attention.
• Everybody is a suspect, including the person who just offered to walk you home.

Your nightmare is not really about you. It is about the people
asleep down the hall, and the feeling that whatever is here is not interested in leaving.

• The Conjuring films are domestic horror. The house, the family, the perfectly ordinary
  room that quietly stops feeling ordinary.
• Your instinct is to get everybody into one room. Your fear is protective rather than
  personal, which is rarer than it sounds.
• This is the one franchise where belief is the weapon. The people who come through it are
  the ones who are not alone and refuse to be.
• Whatever is here did not come for you. It came for the household, and you are the one
  standing in the hallway.

What Does the ‘Constantine’ Reboot Mean for Keanu Reeves’ ‘Constantine 2’?

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• Image via Warner Bros.

• Image via Warner Bros.

• Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Image via Warner Bros.

Image via Warner Bros.

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

A Constantine reboot may not be what fans of the original movie want to hear, but it may not be a death knell for the existing franchise just yet. The new reboot would more than likely take place in the DCU alongside the likes of David Corenswet‘s Superman and Aaron Pierre‘s John Stewart. Gunn also recently confirmed that casting for the DCU’s Batman is also kicking off soon, seemingly once again confirming that Robert Pattinson‘s version from The Batman and its upcoming sequel will remain a separate continuity. With that precedent, Keanu Reeves and Francis Lawrence’s sequel could still happen as its own “Elseworlds” storyline, but as of right now, only time will tell.

Keanu Reeves’ Constantine is streaming now on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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