Skip to main content

A sequel to John Wick is happening, according to the film’s directors

Keanu Reeves’ recent action film John Wick was a surprise success, earning more than three times its $20 million budget at the box office while receiving generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike — so it should probably come as no surprise that a sequel is already in the works.

Speaking with Movies.com, co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch revealed that another film featuring the deadly, enigmatic assassin John Wick is indeed planned, though Reeves’ return to the role is uncertain at this point.

Recommended Videos

“We’re in development right now,” said Stahelski of where things are at with the sequel.

The pair added that it’s not the task of upping the action ante that will determine the viability of a sequel, but the ability to see Reeves’ character evolve and grow in a new story.

“It’s the matter of story and how much you like the character, explained Stahelski. “That’s always 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.”

While Reeves’ participation in a sequel has yet to be confirmed — and will likely depend on the script — the pair acknowledged that the star of The Matrix is not only a big part of the first film’s success, but a pretty great person to work with on any number of projects.

“If you could work with Keanu Reeves for 10 movies you’d have a really cool career,” said Stahelski.

John Wick is available on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

Topics
Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
7 best movie directors of 2024, ranked
Denis Villeneuve sitting with Rebecca Ferguson on the set of "Dune: Part Two."

2024 saw many gifted directors shake up the media as they developed a bevy of crowd-pleasing hits. Some released big-budget blockbusters like Dune: Part Two and Deadpool & Wolverine that dominated theaters and streaming.

Even though some directed smaller indie projects with low box-office returns, masterpieces like Anora and Queer still premiered to outstanding reviews and plenty of buzz this awards season. Though several directors made a splash in the sea of cinema and TV in 2024, these seven artists sailed their way into the spotlight as they achieved the most from their craft this year.
7. James Gunn

Read more
Ballerina sneak peek has Ana de Armas following in John Wick’s bloody footsteps
Ana de Armas crouches in Ballerina.

"I was excited. I was nervous. I was worried," Ana de Armas says about preparing to take on the lead role in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. The forthcoming John Wick spinoff stars de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina who begins training as an assassin and sets out on a quest to avenge her father's death. Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, the film is set to feature Keanu Reeves' Wick in a small role, but a new featurette for Ballerina understandably centers its attention on de Armas' bloodthirsty Eve.

"When I got the opportunity or the offer, it was really inspiring," de Armas reveals over footage of her character being told to "lean into [her] strength" during some intense rounds of martial arts training. While discussing the spinoff's elaborate, John Wick-inspired action sequences, the actress said: "You have to be prepared for whatever they throw at you. It was a kind of discipline — physical and mental — that I didn't know before."

Read more
Director John Waters thinks Joker 2 is one of the best movies of the year
Joker sits at a table while Harley Quin sits behind him.

Director John Waters has made an entire career out of having fairly unconventional taste. His movies are campy outsider art, and he's now mounting a defense of one of the year's most reviled films. In publishing his top 10 films of the year in Vulture, Waters put Joker: Folie à Deux in the sixth spot.

“Finally, a love story I can relate to,” the director wrote accompanying his list. “So insane, so well thought out, so well directed, so much smoking! It’s Jailhouse Rock meets Busby Berkeley with a 9/11 That’s Entertainment! ending that will make you shake your head in cinematic astonishment. Stupid critics. Gaga so good. Joker so right. Die, dumbbells, die!”

Read more