Hollywood actor Ian McShane has revealed he expects filming for the fourth instalment of John Wick to continue later this year.

Speaking to entertainment website Collider, McShane shared that he had been in touch with Keanu Reeves recently and hinted that production was due to start soon.

Blackburn-born McShane stated: “Keanu and I exchanged New Year’s greetings and said, ‘Hope to see you this year.’

“I know the script is being written and they’re hoping to do it this year.”

In May, it was revealed that the release date for John Wick 4 had been delayed by Lionsgate to May 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic – a year later than originally planned.

This was followed by a Lionsgate announcement in August which stated John Wick 5 was in the works and would be shot back-to-back with John Wick 4.

Referring to this, McShane said “I know they announced they were going to do (John Wick 4) and (John Wick 5 together, but who knows.

“The studios announce all sorts of things. No doubt, at some point this year, we’re gonna do ‘John Wick 4.”

McShane has played the character ‘Winston’ in all of the John Wick films to date, and is the current nemesis of John Wick.

The last instalment, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, was released in 2019 and grossed $326 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing film of the franchise within 10 days of its release.