John Wick 2 Confirmed
John Wick 2 is definitely happening, with the same killer creative team coming back for more mayhem.
John Wick was one of the biggest surprises of 2014 due to its heavy reliance on violent, showy in-camera action and Keanu Reeves’ inexplicably watchable non-charisma. It impressed critics and audiences alike when the October actioner turned out to be one of the best shoot ‘em ups in a long while. Which brings us to John Wick 2, which has just been officially confirmed by Lionsgate.
David Leitch and Chad Stahelski will return as directors, as will screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Unsurprisingly, Keanu Reeves is back, too.
“With such tremendous fan and critical support for John Wick, we knew that there was still so much more of this story to tell,” said Jason Constantine, President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, in a statement. “We are thrilled that Keanu, David and Chad have re-teamed with us and promise to bring audiences even more excitement the second time around.”
The prospect of an even bigger, more ambitious sequel to John Wick is very welcome to most, and that includes its directors and stunt choreographers, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who chatted with Movies.com about a follow-up.
Stahelski said:
“We have ideas for days and without blinking twice, we know we can outdo the action from the original. It’s the matter of story and how much you like the character. That’s always the most important. If there’s great action, but you have a character that no one likes, and doesn’t have charisma, you’re not going to watch it. Look at any great action star, whether it’s Harrison Ford or Liam Neeson, or Robert Downey Jr., pick a name, you love the guy first. Good action, bad action, you just love them in action. So, we want to make sure we have a story and a character that everybody loves, and then we’ll dress it with action that we promise will be awesome.”
However, it may be a while before Reeves’ action character returns since the two directors appear to be lining up their next gig with Hollywood’s new it action star, Chris Pratt. Stahelski and Leitch are both in talks to direct Cowboy Ninja Viking, a movie where Pratt would be playing someone possessed by the powers of all three.