Twenty years after its release, the DC film Constantine has become a streaming hit on HBO Max, reaching the top 10 list. Fans eagerly await news of its long-discussed sequel, now officially in development. The movie, starring Keanu Reeves, continues to divide critics but enjoys strong audience support.
HBO Max recently added the cult-classic comic book adaptation Constantine to its platform, where it quickly climbed to the number 8 spot on the top 10 list, as reported by FlixPatrol. The film, drawn from DC's Hellblazer comics, follows John Constantine, played by Keanu Reeves, a man who attempted suicide and glimpsed hell. Haunted by the certainty of damnation upon his eventual death, Constantine seeks redemption while aiding police officer Angela Dodson, portrayed by Rachel Weisz, in probing her twin sister's apparent suicide. Their investigation draws them into a cosmic conflict between Heaven and Hell.
Released two decades ago, Constantine received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 46% score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer but a more favorable 72% from audiences on the Popcornmeter. Horror Movie Talk's David Day praised its portrayals, stating, “The Angel Gabriel and Satan are some of the best depictions of well-known Bible characters that I’ve ever seen on screen… A breath of fresh air in today’s hyper-cookie-cutter style comic book movie world.” In contrast, Den of Geek's Tony Sokal critiqued its visuals, noting, “Constantine gives the impression of somber shadows, but it’s too dingily distracting to leave a bleak impression.”
Excitement builds around the sequel, which has simmered in development for years. Warner Bros. is collaborating once more with Reeves and director Francis Lawrence, with Akiva Goldsman penning the screenplay. Lawrence shared with Collider that the project has been “in the back of our minds for 20 years and just kind of percolating on ideas, and stories and characters we love, and ideas we love.” Reeves echoed this persistence, telling the outlet, “We’ve been trying to make this film for over a decade, and we just recently put a story together and pitched it to DC Studios, and they said, ‘OK.’ So, we’re going to try and write a script.” This progress offers hope that the film will receive further recognition from its dedicated followers.
