It looks like John Wick has put down his weapons and picked up a pen.

Canadian actor Keanu Reeves is set to release his first novel this year, after previously finding success with comic, photography and adult picture books.

Titled The Book of Elsewhere, the novel is a collaboration between Reeves and award-winning British author China Miéville. It appears to be solely written-word based, a departure from Reeves’ previous writing ventures.

Set for release on July 23, the story will follow an immortal warrior on a millennia-long journey to discover more about his immortality.

The novel is inspired by Reeves’ comic book series BRZRKR; co-created with writer Matt Kindt and artist Ron Garney, the series’ 2021 debut saw it become one of the highest-selling debut comics in 30 years.

Reeves said in a statement that collaborating with Miéville, whom he named as one of his favourite authors, for the novel was ‘‘extraordinary’’.

‘‘China did exactly what I was hoping for – he came in with a clear architecture for the story and how he wanted to play with the world of BRZRKR, a world that I love so much,’’ Reeves said.

‘‘I was thrilled with his vision and feel honoured to be a part of this collaborative process.”

Miéville said ‘‘sometimes the greatest games are those you play with other people’s toys”.

“It was an honour, a shock and a delight when Keanu invited me to play,’’ he said.

‘‘But I could never have predicted how generous he’d be with toys he’s spent so long creating, how glad to experiment together, how open to true collaboration.’’

The Book of Elsewhere could already on track to be a bestseller, thanks to a large pre-existing fanbase from its source material.

Film and anime in the works

Fans and novices to the series alike will also get more chances to immerse themselves in BRZRKR’s world soon, with Netflix working on a live-action movie based on the story, along with an anime spin-off.

Reeves is tipped to star in the lead role for the live-action film, and has been highly involved in the development stages.

The anime series will further expand the BRZRKR universe by exploring different elements of the story, with Reeves lending his voice to the main character.

The synopsis for the original BRZRKR comic books reads:

The man known only as “B’’ is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence … even at the sacrifice of his sanity.

But after wandering the Earth for centuries, B may have finally found a refuge – working for the US government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else.

In exchange, B will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence … and how to end it.

“I had this idea – I wanted a character to punch people through their chest and rip their arms off,” Reeves explained about the origins of the story at a 2022 San Diego Comic-Con panel.

“And the idea of someone who was cursed with violence and trying to figure out who they are and how they came to be and kind of reclaiming their humanity.”

Reeves has also written for an adult picture book and a photography book in collaboration with his long-term partner, artist Alexandra Grant.