Twenty years ago, director Francis Lawrence stepped onto the set of Constantine with a résumé that included glossy music videos for Jennifer Lopez and a deep-seated fear of the sophomore slump. Fresh off his feature debut, Constantine (2005), a supernatural noir starring Keanu Reeves as the chain-smoking, demon-hunting John Constantine, would become a cult classic—a film that polarized critics, underperformed at the box office, and yet, over time, cemented itself as a genre-defying touchstone. Now, as the film celebrates its 20th anniversary and Lawrence prepares to helm its long-awaited R-rated sequel, the director reflects on the project that reshaped his career, the challenges of adapting Hellblazer comics, and why Keanu Reeves’ Constantine deserves a second act.
From “Jenny From the Block” to Hell’s Doorstep: Lawrence’s Unlikely Path
Before Constantine, Lawrence was best known for his visually sumptuous music videos, including J.Lo’s I’m Glad and the Ain’t It Funny remix—works that blended narrative storytelling with hyper-stylized glamour. “Music videos were my film school,” Lawrence admitted in a recent interview. “They taught me how to tell stories quickly, how to marry image and emotion. But I wanted more control, more depth.”
That hunger led him to Constantine, a passion project languishing in development hell. Based on DC’s Hellblazer comics, the film had already cycled through directors like Tarsem Singh and Guillermo del Toro. Lawrence, drawn to the script’s moral complexity and gothic aesthetic, fought for the job. “I loved the idea of a hero who’s not really a hero—a guy damned to hell, literally, but still trying to claw his way toward redemption,” he said.
Yet the leap from three-minute videos to a $100 million studio film was daunting. “I had this mantra: Don’t fuck it up,” Lawrence recalled. “But I also knew I had to trust my instincts. The comics were dark, twisted, and deeply human. I wanted to honor that.”
Casting Keanu: A Gamble That Redefined the Role
When Keanu Reeves signed on as John Constantine, purists balked. In the comics, Constantine is a blond, Liverpudlian con artist—a far cry from Reeves’ stoic, Americanized portrayal. But Lawrence saw potential in the disconnect. “Keanu brought a quiet intensity,” he explained. “Constantine isn’t a talker; he’s a survivor. Keanu’s physicality—the way he moves, the weariness in his eyes—told that story better than any accent.”
Reeves, then fresh off The Matrix trilogy, immersed himself in the role. He chain-smoked herbal cigarettes (over 300 per the film’s prop logs), trained in occult symbolism, and performed many of his own stunts, including a baptism-by-demon sequence that required him to be submerged in water for hours. “Keanu doesn’t half-ass anything,” Lawrence said. “He’d ask questions about Constantine’s backstory that even the writers hadn’t considered. That dedication bled into every frame.”
The casting of Rachel Weisz as dual roles—exorcist Angela Dodson and her tormented sister Isabel—added emotional heft. “Rachel brought this raw vulnerability,” Lawrence noted. “Her scenes with Keanu weren’t about romance; they were about two broken people recognizing the darkness in each other.”
Styling the Supernatural: A Noirish Vision of Hell
Visually, Constantine was a departure from Lawrence’s music video palette. Inspired by German expressionism and noir classics like Blade Runner, he and cinematographer Philippe Rousselot crafted a rain-soaked Los Angeles where shadows writhed with demonic energy. The film’s Hell, a nightmarish warzone modeled after World War I trenches, remains one of cinema’s most unsettling underworlds.
“We wanted Hell to feel lived-in,” Lawrence said. “It’s not just fire and brimstone—it’s decay, despair, and this eerie sense of timelessness.” Practical effects dominated, from the winged demon Balthazar (played by Game of Thrones’ Gavin Rossdale) to the iconic “hell hound” sequence, achieved through a mix of puppetry and early CGI. “Audiences can smell CGI fear,” Lawrence joked. “We tried to keep it tactile.”
The film’s boldest choice? Its ending. Spoiler alert: Constantine doesn’t get a hero’s send-off. After bargaining with angels and demons to escape damnation, he’s left coughing up a lung, resigned to his fate. “Studio execs wanted a happier ending,” Lawrence revealed. “But that’s not Constantine. He’s a tragic figure—a man who’s made peace with the fact that he’ll never be saved.”
A Rocky Reception and Cult Resurrection
Upon release, Constantine grossed $230 million worldwide but divided critics. The New York Times called it “a muddle of religious iconography and action clichés,” while Roger Ebert praised its “stylish nihilism.” Fans of the comics were split, with many decrying Reeves’ casting.
Yet in the years since, the film has undergone a reappraisal. Streaming platforms introduced it to new generations, and its themes of moral ambiguity and existential dread resonated in a post-Breaking Bad world. “People started calling it ahead of its time,” Lawrence mused. “Maybe they’re right. Today, antiheroes are everywhere. Back then, studios didn’t know what to do with a guy who flips off the archangel Gabriel.”
The R-Rated Sequel: “We’re Going Darker”
In 2022, Warner Bros. announced Constantine 2, with Reeves and Lawrence reuniting for an R-rated sequel. For Lawrence, it’s a chance to correct past compromises. “The first film was PG-13. We had to pull punches,” he said. “This time, we’re embracing the brutality, the horror, the gallows humor that defines Hellblazer.”
Details are scarce, but the sequel will reportedly delve into Constantine’s bisexuality (a key trait from the comics) and introduce iconic villains like the First of the Fallen. Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original, returns alongside Warrior scribe Michael B. Jordan (no relation to the actor). “We’re exploring addiction, guilt, and the cost of survival,” Lawrence hinted. “This isn’t a reboot; it’s a continuation. Constantine’s older, wearier, but still fighting.”
Reeves, now 59, has already begun prepping. “Keanu’s been sending me photos of him in trench coats,” Lawrence laughed. “He’s all in.”
Legacy and Redemption: Lawrence’s Full-Circle Moment
For Lawrence, whose post-Constantine career includes I Am Legend and The Hunger Games series, the sequel is a homecoming. “I’ve grown as a filmmaker, but John Constantine never left me,” he said. “He’s this reminder that art, like redemption, is a work in progress.”
As for the critics who dismissed Constantine in 2005? Lawrence harbors no grudges. “This industry’s about evolution. If the sequel gets people to revisit the original, to see what we tried to do… that’s victory enough.”
Conclusion: Lighting a Cigarette for the Future
Twenty years later, Constantine endures as a testament to bold choices and flawed heroes. Its sequel, steeped in the freedom of an R rating and two decades of hindsight, aims to honor the source material’s grit while deepening Reeves’ iconic take. As Lawrence put it: “Constantine isn’t here to save the world. He’s here to spite it. And honestly, isn’t that the most relatable superpower of all?”
For fans, the message is clear: Hell hasn’t frozen over—but it’s about to get a hell of a lot hotter.