'John Wick 2' News: Sequel Confirmed, Keanu Reeves Returning
Lionsgate has formally announced that they are working on a sequel of the 2014 surprise hit "John Wick." No less than Keanu Reeves is returning to reprise his role of the retired assassin who was forced out of retirement when a mob-connected punk killed his dog and stole his car.
The sequel which is yet untitled will also bring back directors of the first movie, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. "John Wick" was their directorial debut; both worked with Reeves before as his stunt doubles and stunt choreographers. The screenplay for the sequel will be penned by Derek Kolstad. A report in Forbes says that Lance Reddick will likely be coming back in "some capacity." Aside from this, no further casting information was given.
The film will be produced by the same producer, Basil Iwanyk of Thunder Road, and will be carried by Lionsgate Summit Entertainment. Lionsgate is also selling its international rights during the Cannes Film Festival, so no release date has been set.
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The announcement does not come as a surprise however, as there were initial open discussions about developing a sequel. The Forbes report called it a "welcome development," saying that the first film was "one of the happier surprises of last year, one of the best films of 2014 as well as a rare film that performed above expectations through sheer force of will."
According to another report in The Atlantic, although it "did decent business at the box office … earning $78 million worldwide on a $20 million budget," it's not enough to compel the development of a sequel. However, it seems that the folks behind the movie have another story to tell, thus the "unplanned sequel." The report also hopes that the attention to detail that was present in the first movie, will also be applied in the sequel.
