Something Wicked This Way Stalls
Keanu Reeves just hit pause on Hell—because he's not feeling the Constantine 2 script. And if you're a fan of the cult 2005 original? Yeah, this news should make you nervous.
Earlier this year, things looked promising. Director Francis Lawrence teased Collider with hopeful words like “closer than ever,” hinting that the sequel to the supernatural noir was finally crawling out of development limbo. Reeves and Lawrence were “super, super excited.” Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman had wrapped a draft. JJ Abrams was producing. Fans dared to hope.
Then came the kill shot: In a recent interview with The Direct, co-star Peter Stormare casually dropped the bomb—Reeves isn't happy with the script.
This Isn't the Constantine You're Looking For
Here's where it gets gnarly: Reeves reportedly wants a story “about demons and regular people”—not a VFX fever dream where angels do kung fu in exploding subway stations. But the studios? They want flash.
As Stormare puts it:
“They want to have, you know, cars flying in the air. They want to have people doing flip-flops and fighting action scenes.”
Reeves, famously allergic to that kind of hollow spectacle, wants a sequel “very close to the first one.” Grounded, grimy, and soaked in existential dread.
Translation: Think Hellblazer—not Fast & Furious: Eternal Damnation.
And let's talk Goldsman. The man's filmography is a cocktail of chaos: He penned Batman & Robin (never forget the Bat-nipples), but also won an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind. So yeah, either outcome is possible. But right now, it seems the script he turned in missed the (hell)mark.
History Repeats Itself—and It's Always a Horror Show
Hollywood has a bad habit of resurrecting cult classics only to gut them (Blade Runner 2049 fans, you got lucky). Just ask the teams behind failed legacy sequels like The Thing (2011), The Matrix Resurrections, or Independence Day: Resurgence. Studio interference often blurs what made the original special.
If Constantine 2 ends up a soulless CGI orgy, it'll follow the same cursed path.
And the stakes? They're not just creative—they're existential. Reeves is one of the few stars left who can command box office draw and cult devotion. If he walks, the whole thing could collapse faster than Lucifer's wings.
So Now What? Rewrite Purgatory
Heavy rewrites are reportedly underway. But rewrites mean delays. And delays mean doubt.
The original film wasn't supposed to work. Critics were mixed. Comic fans were skeptical (Reeves' Constantine wasn't blond, British, or Liverpudlian). And yet—it worked. It earned $280M globally and found new life through streaming.
It became, against all odds, a cult gem.
Can lightning strike twice?
Honestly? Not with flying cars.
Final Verdict: Holy or Hell No?
Reeves doesn't do cash grabs. If he's out, we should be, too. But if Warner Bros. listens—if they dial back the spectacle and let Constantine be Constantine—maybe this thing has a prayer.
Genius or garbage? Summon your hot takes in the comments.
