Constantine 2 Director Says DC Leadership Shake-up Gives Sequel "Renewed Hope"

Director Francis Lawrence is feeling more optimistic about a sequel to 2005's "Constantine" following a major change at DC Studios. In an exclusive interview with Collider, Lawrence stated that the previous leadership at DC had been "an impediment" to getting the Keanu Reeves-led follow-up made.

Lawrence confirmed to Collider that a script is ready and the core creative team, including Reeves and writer Akiva Goldsman, have been trying to make the film for over two decades. He suggested the recent executive departure could open a new door. "We are now more hopeful as of yesterday's news that maybe now there will be another opportunity," Lawrence said.

The director also addressed whether a potential new, shared DC universe version of John Constantine would conflict with his project. He stated he doesn't care if DC has other plans, saying, "If they just let us do the sequel to our version, they can coexist."

Lawrence revealed the team's specific vision for the sequel, telling Collider they plan to make a "hard-R" version. He explained the original film was made to be PG-13 but received an R rating anyway, which still annoys him.

Finally, Lawrence acknowledged the project would need a modest budget. He said neither he nor Reeves would command their usual full fees, describing it as a passion project they'd have to make "scrappily" for far less than $100 million.