The world of John Wick has been expanding as of late, with spinoff movies and shows having been produced over the past few years. One of the offshoots fans of the franchise have really been eager to see is Caine, which centers around Donnie Yen’s titular character. Yen’s flick was announced back in 2025 and, fast forward to this week, the movie has now reached a major milestone. Caine has officially wrapped, and we can thank Yen for sharing the moment principal photography was finished.
Donnie Yen has expressed a lot of enthusiasm when it comes to bringing his Wick character back to the big screen. So it shouldn’t have been too surprising when he took to Instagram to celebrate the end of filming on Caine. The revered actor, director and martial artist shared a photo of a production clapboard and, in his caption, he shared the words, “that’s a wrap” and tagged his various collaborators. Check out the post, which can be seen down below:
The fact that this Wick spinoff is now officially wrapped makes the prospect of it hitting theaters feel all the more real. Yen, for his part, has used social media to signify the conclusion of a film shoot before. Back in 2021, he celebrated wrapping on John Wick: Chapter 4 by sharing a video filled with sweet behind-the-scenes moments, including his and co-star Keanu Reeves’ goodbye. I love the sheer amount of passion Yen seems to have about his work, and I’d argue it’s one of the reasons why this new movie is happening.
It was reported back in 2023 that Lionsgate was looking to build upon the John Wick franchise with spinoffs, with Donnie Yen throwing his hat in the ring to reprise his character. By 2024, it seemed certain that a Caine-centered film would be made and, as previously mentioned, the official announcement came the following year. And not only is Yen starring in it, but he’s also directing it from a story he conceived with franchise OG Chad Stahelski. The actual screenplay was penned by Robert Askins and Mattson Tomlin.
For those who need a refresher, Caine was introduced in Chapter 4 as an old friend of John’s, though he finds himself in a tough situation when he’s hired to kill Wick for the sake of his daughter’s safety. The blind High Table assassin more than proves himself to be a formidable combatant, and it’s not hard to understand why Yen, Stahelski and co. would want to put him at the center of his own movie. However, I’d like to think the Ip Man icon didn’t jump into this new opportunity lightly.
Something Yen has been quite vocal about is the presence of Asian stereotypes in media and how he himself has come across them when taking on roles. Considering the thoughts he’s shared, I would imagine that his upcoming film will avoid cultural clichés. And, if that’s the case, audiences could be in for a film that’s not only action-packed but also nuanced when it comes to handling its main character or any others in his orbit.
As John Wick spinoffs continue to be made, it’s my hope that the creative team will maintain the essence of the franchise while also charting out fresh territory that makes sense for this fictional world. I’m hopeful that Donnie Yen and co. will do that with their movie, and I’m eager to see what the finished result will look like on the big screen.
Lionsgate has yet to announce a release date for Caine, but let’s hope it finds a spot somewhere on the 2027 movie schedule. In the meantime, grab an HBO Max subscription and stream John Wick: Chapter 4.
