Just days ago co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch revealed to Movies.com they were already developing a sequel to John Wick.
“We have ideas for days and without blinking twice we know we can outdo the action from the original,” Stahelski said. “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.”
On Friday, the CEO of Lionsgate Jon Feltheimer made it official during a conference call via Variety.
Feltheimer going even further than just announcing it’s sequel, proclaiming that “we see ‘John Wick’ as a multiple-title action franchise”.
No details are being mentioned and there’s no word of a release date, or if Reeves is expected to return as Wick.
The pair of directors are currently in talks to direct Cowboy Ninja Viking next for Universal which could delay the sequel from happening as quickly as the studio was hoping. They are still expected to return for future Wick installments.
This could likely leave the studio’s other stale franchises like The Expendables in the dust. Along with helping usher-in a renaissance of well made R-rated action films, it’s an ignored genre that’s been dying a slow death.
Keanu Reeves has been reluctant to sign-on to franchises or sequels for that matter over the years, but this could be another story considering the amount of detail and preparation that went into the first film.
If that magic can be recreated for a franchise then I’m sure Reeves would be a bit more willing to do it.
SOURCE: VARIETY