Deadline confirms that Chad Stahelski has signed on to the live-action adaptation of Trevanian’s 1979 book which follows a skilled assassin named Nicholaï Hel who is so good at what he does that he can use everyday objects as murder weapons. Sounds familiar? As it turns out, there’s a good reason why Chad Stahelski signed on to the project. The John Wick: Chapter 4 director reportedly considers the novel one of his personal favorites which explains why the Keanu Reeves film series also adopts the art of the Naked/Kill, a martial discipline that trains in the use of ordinary items as instruments of death.
In addition to Stahelski, Shibumi has added Operation Finale scribe Matthew Orton. For now, the project is in early development. Stay tuned for more updates on this story. Shibumi is just one of the many projects that Stahelski will be working on in the future. It was previously confirmed that he is working on the Highlander reboot which has reportedly cast The Witcher actor Henry Cavill in the lead role. In addition to that, Stahelski has huge plans for the live-action adaptation of the Sucker Punch video game Ghost of Tsushima. “I think if we did this right, it would be visually stunning. It’s character driven. It’s got an opportunity for great action, great looks. And honestly, we’d to try to do it, all in character. Meaning, it’s a Japanese thing about the Mongols invading Tsushima island. A complete Japanese cast, in Japanese,” Stahelski said, adding that “Sony is so on board with backing us on that.” Stahelski’s next project John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled for release on March 24, 2023.
