Movies - Rina Sawayama Set to Reprise Her Role as Akira in John Wick Spin-Off Caine Film

By Mulder, 05 may 2025

The John Wick universe continues its relentless and stylish expansion, and now it’s officially bringing back one of its most magnetic recent additions: Rina Sawayama will reprise her role as Akira in the highly anticipated spin-off film centered on Caine, the blind swordsman played with icy intensity by Donnie Yen. Announced ahead of the Cannes Film Market where Lionsgate is launching international sales, this new chapter not only extends the narrative threads left tantalizingly open in John Wick: Chapter 4, but also promises to fuse star power, elegant choreography, and emotional continuity in ways that feel organic to the saga’s DNA. For fans of Sawayama’s breakout performance, this isn’t just casting news—it’s a poetic continuation. Her Akira, whose final appearance in Chapter 4 hinted at unresolved vengeance, is poised to become more than a fan-favorite: she’s about to be a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.

Donnie Yen taking the reins as both star and director signals a tonal shift and a nod to the stylized Hong Kong action films that helped define his legacy. The character of Caine—whose code of honor, tragic burden, and balletic lethality made him an immediate standout—will now take center stage, freed from the shackles of the High Table and from the narrative orbit of John Wick himself. The pairing of Yen and Sawayama isn’t just a reunion; it’s a collision course of two morally wounded assassins whose fates are now tightly interwoven. Yen’s directorial eye, no doubt honed by decades of martial arts cinema, will infuse this project with kinetic discipline and emotional depth. More importantly, Yen’s own words—about wanting to “elevate [Akira’s] amazing character”—reflect a thoughtful ambition that goes beyond spectacle: this is personal storytelling within an operatic underworld.

The production, set to begin in Hong Kong later this year, benefits from a screenplay crafted by Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Part II, BRZRKR), evolving from an earlier draft by Robert Askins. Given Tomlin’s knack for grounded yet mythic storytelling, expectations are high for a script that doesn’t just serve as connective tissue but acts as a bold, standalone statement. Franchise shepherds Chad Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk, and Erica Lee return to produce under their 87Eleven and Thunder Road banners, providing the essential backbone that has made every Wick entry feel handcrafted rather than mass-produced. Stahelski himself has praised Sawayama’s work in Chapter 4, calling her a “badass,” and his involvement here—though indirect—guarantees a level of continuity that reassures fans this isn’t a spin-off in name only.

Sawayama’s return, though, is the emotional linchpin. As Akira, the concierge-turned-vigilante who saw her father Shimazu (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) murdered at the Osaka Continental, she carried the quiet gravitas of someone steeped in honor and vengeance. Her story was never finished—it was interrupted. That final post-credit scene in Chapter 4—a brief yet searing confrontation where Akira stalks Caine through a crowded street—lit the fuse. This film is the explosion. It’s also a testament to Lionsgate’s commitment to building character-driven action, a hallmark of the Wick universe. In an era of disposable blockbusters, this continuity of care feels almost radical. Sawayama, known for her chameleonic presence and fierce stage persona, made Akira memorable with minimal dialogue and maximum intensity. Giving her more screen time—and narrative agency—feels overdue.

Lionsgate’s announcement also arrives amid a flurry of activity within the John Wick brand. The upcoming Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, is already generating buzz ahead of its June 2025 release. Meanwhile, an anime feature film and John Wick: Chapter 5 are both in development, as well as the freshly announced series John Wick: Under the High Table, all signs of a franchise that refuses to stagnate. Yet, amidst this sprawl, the Caine-Akira project stands out because it’s born directly from an emotional cliffhanger that fans have long been clamoring to see resolved. It’s not just another spin-off—it’s a sequel in disguise, a continuation disguised as an origin story.

What’s especially striking is how Lionsgate is leaning into global storytelling here. With principal photography set in Hong Kong and Donnie Yen leading both in front of and behind the camera, the film becomes a cross-cultural statement—marrying the Western mythmaking of the Wick universe with the Eastern cinematic traditions that inspired it. It also taps into a long-deserved spotlight on Asian actors who bring not only fight choreography but dramatic heft to the table. The fact that Rina Sawayama, born in Japan and raised in the UK, is being positioned as more than just a side character speaks volumes. She’s not here to support a man’s story—she’s here to shape her own. And if early quotes from Yen and Stahelski are any indication, Akira’s path won’t be just reactive; it will be revolutionary.

In many ways, this new Caine film mirrors the very journey of the franchise. What began as a minimalist revenge story about a man and his dog has evolved into a globe-spanning saga of moral codes, sacred institutions, and emotional scars. With Akira and Caine, the narrative isn’t trying to mimic what came before—it’s looking to deepen it. Through their entangled destinies, we may get something rare in modern action cinema: a film where choreography and catharsis walk side by side. As Donnie Yen’s Caine seeks redemption and Rina Sawayama’s Akira seeks revenge, the stage is set not just for a showdown—but for a reckoning.

So buckle up. This isn’t just another chapter from the world of John Wick. This is where unfinished business turns into unforgettable cinema.

Photos : Copyright Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Lionsgate

(Source : press release)