John Wick started off as a tiny sleeper hit, but the story of a hugely talented assassin has quickly turned into one of the most unlikely franchises of the modern era.
Directed by stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, John Wick made $88.7 million worldwide when it was released in late 2014, earning critical acclaim and instant cult status. It was viewed as something of a renaissance for Keanu Reeves, who had seen a recent string of failures in the form of mega-budget 47 Ronin and The Day the Earth Stood Still. The film's relatively small budget of $20 million ensured a sequel, but I'm certain that none of the filmmakers thought 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 would break out like it did. Leitch departed the series to direct Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, but Stahelski stuck around to craft the follow-up, delivering one of the better sequels in recent memory. Chapter 2 also happened to be an even bigger hit, grossing $171.5 million worldwide, including almost $100 million in America. With a massive cliff-hanger of an ending and fans eager for more, John Wick: Chapter 3 seemed inevitable. As Lionsgate gears up for the film's Summer 2019 release, Stahelski and company are rounding out their cast for the third installment in the series. And it's looking pretty incredible so far.
Earlier today, Lionsgate revealed the major players of John Wick: Chapter 3 on Twitter, announcing the return of many fan favorites and the debut of several new faces. In addition to Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne will reprise his role as Bowery King, Ian McShane will play Winston for the third time, and of course, Lance Reddick's Charon will be back for another round. In terms of new faces, Billions star Asia Kate Dillon will play The Adjudicator, Anjelica Huston is signed on to play The Director, Mark Dacascos will star as Zero, and The House's Jason Mantzoukas will take on the role of Tick Tock Man. But perhaps the biggest news of the day is the addition of Halle Berry to the cast, who will play Sofia. This will be the second major action franchise for Berry, who recently played Ginger Ale in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Golden Circle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski will direct once again, with Derek Kolstad, Chris Collins, Marc Abrams, and Shay Hatten writing the script.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is one of the finest action sequels of all time, and I'm thrilled to see this story continue in Chapter 3. Stahelski is a spectacular action director, Reeves is already an iconic badass, and it seems primed to be an eye-popping conclusion to the saga (unless Lionsgate decides to keep it going for Chapter 4). Berry and Mantzoukas are especially exciting additions, and I can't wait to see how this all comes together.
John Wick: Chapter 3 will be released on May 17, 2019.
Image: Fox/IMDb
Poster courtesy of Lionsgate
Box Office Numbers via Box Office Mojo
Directed by stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, John Wick made $88.7 million worldwide when it was released in late 2014, earning critical acclaim and instant cult status. It was viewed as something of a renaissance for Keanu Reeves, who had seen a recent string of failures in the form of mega-budget 47 Ronin and The Day the Earth Stood Still. The film's relatively small budget of $20 million ensured a sequel, but I'm certain that none of the filmmakers thought 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 would break out like it did. Leitch departed the series to direct Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, but Stahelski stuck around to craft the follow-up, delivering one of the better sequels in recent memory. Chapter 2 also happened to be an even bigger hit, grossing $171.5 million worldwide, including almost $100 million in America. With a massive cliff-hanger of an ending and fans eager for more, John Wick: Chapter 3 seemed inevitable. As Lionsgate gears up for the film's Summer 2019 release, Stahelski and company are rounding out their cast for the third installment in the series. And it's looking pretty incredible so far.
Earlier today, Lionsgate revealed the major players of John Wick: Chapter 3 on Twitter, announcing the return of many fan favorites and the debut of several new faces. In addition to Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne will reprise his role as Bowery King, Ian McShane will play Winston for the third time, and of course, Lance Reddick's Charon will be back for another round. In terms of new faces, Billions star Asia Kate Dillon will play The Adjudicator, Anjelica Huston is signed on to play The Director, Mark Dacascos will star as Zero, and The House's Jason Mantzoukas will take on the role of Tick Tock Man. But perhaps the biggest news of the day is the addition of Halle Berry to the cast, who will play Sofia. This will be the second major action franchise for Berry, who recently played Ginger Ale in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Golden Circle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski will direct once again, with Derek Kolstad, Chris Collins, Marc Abrams, and Shay Hatten writing the script.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is one of the finest action sequels of all time, and I'm thrilled to see this story continue in Chapter 3. Stahelski is a spectacular action director, Reeves is already an iconic badass, and it seems primed to be an eye-popping conclusion to the saga (unless Lionsgate decides to keep it going for Chapter 4). Berry and Mantzoukas are especially exciting additions, and I can't wait to see how this all comes together.
John Wick: Chapter 3 will be released on May 17, 2019.
Image: Fox/IMDb
Poster courtesy of Lionsgate
Box Office Numbers via Box Office Mojo
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