Watch Keanu Reeves avenge his puppy in the first trailer for John Wick

By Rick Marshall September 15, 2014

Sad Keanu was great and all, but is the world ready for hitman Keanu?

Honestly, it’s difficult not to be intrigued by John Wick, the new film that casts Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman who gets back into the killing game after a bunch of gangsters steal his muscle car and (as the preview footage seems to suggest) go the extra mile by killing his dog. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

Directed by stunt actor turned filmmaker David Leitch, the film features an impressive cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, John Leguizmo, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy from Game Of Thrones). And did we mention that Reeves plays a hitman out to avenge the murder of his puppy? Because that’s kind of important, too.

The official synopsis for John Wick describes the film as a story set in New York City about an ex-hitman who “comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.”

And while that’s all well and good, the prospect of hitman Keanu Reeves battling hitman Willem Dafoe while Ian McShane advises one or both of their characters is, well… so crazy it just might work.

John Wick hits theaters October 24.

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John Wick franchise travels to the 1970s in first trailer for spinoff series The Continental

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The John Wick franchise heads back to the 1970s to check in with the film's famous hotel in The Continental. Peacock released its first teaser trailer for the three-part event, set to arrive later this year.

The Continental follows a young Winston Scott (Ambulance's Colin Woodell) as he navigates life in 1970s New York. The series explores the familiar hotel that serves as a safe haven for assassins. The Continental will focus on Winston's background and how he ascended the ranks to become the owner of the hotel. The official synopsis: "Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne."

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Everything you need to know about the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina

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In 2014, the world was introduced to John Wick (The Matrix's Keanu Reeves), the legendary assassin who left the profession to marry his wife, Helen (Blue Bloods' Bridget Moynahan). After Helen tragically dies, a grieving John is pulled back into the criminal underworld after a group of Russian gangsters steal his car and kill his puppy, a gift from his wife. Clad in his signature black suit, a motivated John punches, shoots, and kills whatever or whoever comes his way on his quest for vengeance.

Four movies later, the John Wick series is widely regarded as one of the best action franchises ever made. What sets John Wick apart from other franchises is its approach to action filmmaking. Instead of quick cuts and closeups, John Wick relies on highly choreographed sequences and single takes, which was first instilled by John Wick's co-directors David Leitch (Deadpool 2) and Chad Stahelski (John Wick: Chapter 4). The successful franchise will now expand the universe in its first feature spinoff, Ballerina, centered around a female assassin out for revenge against those who murdered her family.

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Does John Wick die at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4?

John Wick loads his gun in John Wick: Chapter 4.

It's official: John Wick: Chapter 4 is a hit with critics and audiences alike. Yet in every movie franchise, at some point, the hero has to either call it quits or die. It happened with Christian Bale's Batman, who seemingly died at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, only to be revealed as living incognito in Europe with Anne Hathaway's Catwoman. Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. It even happened to Daniel Craig's James Bond, who seemed to have perished at the end of No Time to Die. If 007 can meet his maker, then no action hero is safe.

Is it John Wick's turn? One can argue the action hero is just hitting his stride. The latest movie featuring the character, John Wick: Chapter 4, is set to be the most successful JW movie to date, and the early critical reception has been rapturous. A spinoff, Ballerina, is in the works, and star Keanu Reeves has talked about a fifth movie. Yet the action in the film is intense, and even John Wick has his limits. Does John Wick die at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4?
What happens at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4?