John Wick 2 Is Happening, Get The Details

Please, please, please just make sure, at some point during John Wick 2, that Keanu Reeves looks into the camera and says, "Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back… again!"

The wheels apparently are turning on John Wick 2 (probably not the title), according to statements made by John Wick co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch to Movies.com. Now, before you jump in your pristine Mustang and roar on down to the local multiplex, just know that the sequel is "in development right now" and that they are kicking around big ideas practically every day. However, cooking up concepts for fresh, original action sequences aren’t the issue. Right now, it’s about coming up with a reason for audiences to spend more time with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) – because while John Wick was incredible, it wasn’t best known for its character development.

Stahelski told the site:

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.

We don’t doubt that final statement. Chad Stahelski and David Leitch climbed the ranks in the stunt world, and they brought a ton of experience to their directorial debut. The story of John Wick is ridiculously easy. Eastern European gangsters mistakenly steal Wick’s car, and kill his dog. He vows revenge – and kills a small army of goons in the process. But he does so with the utmost amount of action-movie style. Check this nonsense out!

Or this one, when the goons make the mistake of coming into John’s house.

Now, words are wonderful. A studio has to greenlight this beast. Keanu Reeves has to agree to return (though he isn’t opposed to sequels, from Matrix movies to Bill & Ted flicks). And Chad Stahelski and David Leitch have their names attached to Chris Pratt’s Cowboy Ninja Viking, so that could delay John Wick 2. But the first movie made $78 million worldwide against a reported $20 million budget. Sequels to popular movies tend to do better, financially. So the idea of a John Wick 2 isn’t just natural, it’s incredible.

Sean O'Connell
Managing Editor

Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.