Cast your mind back to 2014 and there are a few tentpole productions that immediately spring to mind as being the most memorable films of the year — Birdman, Interstellar, Whiplash et cetera. But dig a little deeper and you’ll unearth the most surprisingly good productions of last year; those releases that arrived with little-to-no expectations only to pull the rug of cynicism from beneath your feet.
Chad Stahelski and David Leitch’s John Wick was one of those films. Starring Keanu Reeves as a relentless killer, the actioner carved out its own niche audience, and that dedicated fanbase will be pleased to note that the filmmaking duo are already pushing ahead with development on a John Wick 2.
Granted, talk of a direct sequel has been in the ether for some time, with Stahelski and Leitch ruminating on the ways in which they want to keep the titular character compelling to the audience. In a recent interview with Movies.com, Stahelski touched upon the status of the follow-up.
“We have ideas for days and without blinking twice we know we can outdo the action from the original. It’s the matter of story and how much you like the character. That’s always the 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.”
Tell us, what would you like to see from John Wick 2? Indeed, would you rather Keanu Reeves’ action flick live on as a one-and-done hit? Let us know below.
