DC Studios is making a new John Constantine movie, and it has picked a horror director to write it. Deadline reports that Francis Galluppi, the filmmaker behind the upcoming Evil Dead Wrath, is writing a film about DC’s chain-smoking, trench-coated occult detective. There is no director, no cast and no release date yet. So the question every fan is asking is simple: what happens to Keanu Reeves and Constantine 2? Here is everything we know.
The new John Constantine movie: what we know
Deadline broke the news on November 4, and TheWrap, MovieWeb and Cosmic Book News quickly followed. Here is what the reports agree on:
- Francis Galluppi is writing the script. That is the only confirmed job on the film so far.
- It is in very early development. Nobody else is attached, so there is no director and no John Constantine yet.
- It is a horror film. Every outlet frames it as part of DC’s push into horror, which makes sense for a man who spends his life fighting demons.
- DC is not talking. TheWrap says DC Studios had no comment.
One report goes further. TheWrap says Galluppi “will helm” the film, which would mean he directs it too. However, Cosmic Book News and MovieWeb, both citing Deadline, say no director is attached. For now, treat him as the writer. MovieWeb thinks he could get the director’s chair as well if Evil Dead Wrath does well.
Who is Francis Galluppi?
If you have not heard the name yet, you will. Galluppi made his feature debut with The Last Stop in Yuma County, a small, tense crime thriller set almost entirely in a roadside diner, which premiered at Fantastic Fest.
That film caught Sam Raimi’s eye. Galluppi then pitched Raimi an original Evil Dead story, and it became Evil Dead Wrath, the seventh film in the series. Raimi has praised his “uncommon control” as a filmmaker. Warner Bros. will release Evil Dead Wrath in theaters on April 7, 2028.
In short, DC is handing Constantine to someone who knows how to make a small story feel scary. That is exactly how the best Hellblazer comics work.
Is this Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2?
Short answer: nobody knows, and that is why fans are nervous.
Deadline’s report does not mention Keanu Reeves, Akiva Goldsman or Constantine 2 at all. As Cosmic Book News points out, that leaves two options. Either Galluppi is writing a brand-new take on the character, or Constantine 2 is changing hands. MovieWeb also says it is unclear whether this is a DCU film or the sequel.
Here is where Reeves’ sequel stands right now:
- It was announced in 2022, with Reeves returning, Francis Lawrence directing again and Akiva Goldsman writing.
- Reeves says the story was approved. Last year he said their pitch was presented to DC Studios and approved.
- James Gunn wants the script right first. Gunn has said the sequel comes down to getting the script right.
- It is still on the books. When Deadline listed Warner Bros.’ film slate after the Skydance takeover last month, Constantine 2 was still in development.
So the Reeves sequel is not dead. But four years after it was announced, it still has no locked script, no shoot date and no release date. And now there is a second Constantine film in the works.
Can there be two John Constantines?
Yes, and DC already does this with Batman. Robert Pattinson’s Batman lives in Matt Reeves’ The Batman films, which sit outside James Gunn’s DCU. Meanwhile, the DCU is building its own Batman in The Brave and the Bold. DC calls these outside-the-DCU stories Elseworlds, and Joaquin Phoenix’s two Joker films carry the same label.
So, in theory, a Keanu Reeves Constantine 2 as an Elseworlds film and a new DCU John Constantine could both exist. But DC has not said which one Galluppi’s film is.
Our guess is the DCU, and the timing is the clue. DC Studios is clearly building a horror corner right now:
- Clayface, DC Studios’ first horror film, opened on October 23 and has crossed $90 million worldwide. Here is what critics said about Clayface.
- Swamp Thing, with James Mangold attached, is in development.
- John Constantine was born in a Swamp Thing comic, so the two characters go together naturally.
Put those together and you have the start of a dark side of the DCU, something fans have wanted ever since the Justice League Dark movie was scrapped.
Who is John Constantine?
If you only know the Keanu version, here is a quick catch-up. John Constantine was created by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, and he first appeared in The Saga of the Swamp Thing #37 in 1985. In the comics he is a blond, working-class con man and occult detective from Liverpool. He smokes too much, drinks too much, and beats demons by outsmarting them, not by punching them. Usually, his friends pay the price.
His own comic, Hellblazer, started in 1988 and ran for 300 issues until 2013, most of it under DC’s Vertigo label.
The 2005 Constantine moved him to Los Angeles and made him American and dark-haired, which upset comic fans at first. Over the years, though, it has become a cult favourite. Later, Matt Ryan played a much more comic-accurate Constantine in NBC’s Constantine (2014 to 2015), and he carried the role into the Arrowverse, mainly Legends of Tomorrow. Many fans online still say Ryan is their Constantine.
When could the new Constantine movie come out?
Not soon. Right now the film only has a writer, and Galluppi still has to finish Evil Dead Wrath for April 2028. Even if the script comes together quickly, we do not expect the new John Constantine movie before 2029. That is our estimate, not an official date.
Our take
We love this hire. Constantine works best when the story is small, scary and a little mean, and Galluppi’s first film proves he can keep a tiny story tense from start to finish. That is a far better fit than a big CGI demon battle.
The Keanu side is harder. We love the 2005 film, and Reeves clearly loves the role, so honestly we would be happy with both. But DC has not moved Constantine 2 forward in four years, and a new John Constantine movie being written right now is not a great sign for it. Until DC Studios says something, Keanu fans should keep their hopes up and their expectations low.
What we still don’t know
- Is the new film part of James Gunn’s DCU?
- Will Galluppi direct it as well as write it?
- Who plays John Constantine, and will he finally be British and blond?
- Is Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 still happening alongside it?
- Does it connect to Swamp Thing or Clayface?
Who should play John Constantine: Keanu Reeves, Matt Ryan or someone new? Tell us in the comments.
More DC horror: Who is Clayface? Every version from 1940 to DC’s 2026 horror film.
Sources: Deadline (original report), TheWrap, Cosmic Book News, MovieWeb.
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