Entertainment

Constantine sequel could have seen Keanu Reeves meet Jesus

Reeves played a chain-smoking occult detective in the film.
Reeves played a chain-smoking occult detective in the film. Reeves played a chain-smoking occult detective in the film.

A potential sequel to cult 2005 superhero film Constantine could have included star Keanu Reeves meeting Jesus, it has been revealed.

The original movie was based on a comic book series and featured Reeves as the titular chain-smoking occult detective who can banish demons to hell.

Reeves was joined by Constantine director Francis Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldsman for a Comic-Con@Home panel, where discussion turned to a sequel.

Graham Norton Show – London
Graham Norton Show – London Keanu Reeves starred in 2005 superhero movie Constantine, which has become a cult film (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Goldsman said the prospect of a follow-up “endlessly came up” and the team wanted to make an R-rated production to make the most of the dark themes in the comic books.

One of the ideas floated was Constantine meeting Jesus. In the first film, Lucifer, played by Swedish actor Peter Stormare, appeared.

Goldsman said the idea was to have Constantine have to identify a prisoner in a jail cell and for it to be Jesus.

Lawrence, whose subsequent films have included three Hunger Games movies and 2018 spy thriller Red Sparrow, said while Constantine was not an overwhelming success at the time, it has become his most popular work.

He said: “We definitely talked about sequels more than the studio. Because the movie did fairly well, and this was also a time when people still sold DVDs so I think it did decently at the time.

“But it wasn’t a knockout success and it also wasn’t really critically acclaimed by any means at the time. The cool thing for me about this movie is just, in the 15 years since it released, every time I do a movie and travel the world and do junkets, I am signing Constantine DVDs.

“More than any other movie that I’ve done. Over the years, different countries, people really, really love this movie. It’s found a new life in a weird way.”