Keanu Reeves is suiting up again for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which marks a deadly May release date.
John Wick: Chapter 3 is about as inevitable of an action sequel as inevitable action sequels get (which is pretty gosh darn inevitable). Off the back of the success of the Keanu Reeves-headlined surprise 2014 hit, John Wick, and its equally crimson-soaked sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, and even a mooted spinoff television series in The Continental,
***************
plans quickly moved forward to get cameras rolling for the third film in the series in time for a 2019 arrival, which is now right around the corner.
The threequel brandishes the nifty title, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. For those of you who didn't take Latin, "parabellum" means "prepare for war." It's typically the second half of the saying, "Si vis pacem, para bellum," or "If you want peace, prepare for war." Fitting, no?
John Wick 3 Trailer
The first trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is here!
Picking up where the last film left off, John Wick has gone from boogeyman to being the biggest bounty in town, making him the target of every elusive assassin. However, it seems that he has at least one person that he can trust in fellow dog-lover (and likely former flame,) Sofia.
John Wick 3 Cast
Halle Berry revealed last year that she will join Keanu Reeves to co-star in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The first image of Berry's character, Sofia, surfaced last June. As you can see, like John, she also appears to be a dog enthusiast... twice over.
Berry took to Instagram to initially confirm rumors of her casting with a photo of a memo--intriguingly written on a Continental Hotel stationary--stating, “See you in a year, Mr. Wick.” (Referencing its one-year-away release date.) Berry plays Sofia, an assassin with a complicated history with John, but she appears at least in the trailer to have his back.
Other major returning characters include Ian McShane as Winston, the proprietor of the Continental chain who was forced to reluctantly excommunicate John after he killed someone inside the grounds of a hallowed hotel. Laurence Fishburne is also returning as the Bowery King, an assassin who has turned New York City's homeless population into a spying network, and whose complicated history with John might make him one interested in taking a new bounty on his head.
Newcomers include Game of Thrones' Jerome Flynn (Bronn if you watch the HBO series). He's playing a new character known as Berrada. Additionally, Angelica Huston has been cast in a likely showy cameo role as "the Director," which presumably is a head honcho position that will be gunning for John. Asia Kate Dillon (Orange is the New Black) will, meanwhile, be "the Abjudicator" and Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham) is "the Administrator." Methinks plenty of inner-workings of the Continental and "Board" will be explored in the new film. Mark Dascascos (Agents of SHIELD) has also been cast, as has Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as the "Tic-Toc" Man. Plus, Chinese martial arts movie megastar Tiger Hu Chen has joined, along with alumni from The Raid in Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman. This group is likely set to tangle with Reeves’ wayward John Wick in what will surely be impressive fashion.
The film is once more directed by Chad Stahelski, who co-directed the first movie and helmed solo on the second, and it is being written by Derek Kolstad, the mastermind behind teh whole franchise.
John Wick 3 Release Date
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum will hit theaters on May 17, 2019.
John Wick 3 Story
Industry event CinemaCon, in Las Vegas, can be a treasure trove of news, and that would prove to be no exception for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. It's where we first saw the veil lifted on the film’s plot.
“John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run for two reasons… he’s being hunted for a global $14 million open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule: taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. The victim was a member of the High Table who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental’s manager, Winston, has given him a one-hour grace period before he’s “Excommunicado” – membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City.”
Of course, this won’t exactly send shockwaves amongst those who saw John Wick: Chapter 2, which culminates in the bounty on John’s head and the aforementioned exile, which (to elaborate,) Continental boss Winston (Ian McShane) instituted reluctantly after John broke a sacred rule by killing his relentless, manipulative, enemy Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), within the designated safe walls of the hotel for assassins. – Nevertheless, there it is!
Chad Stahelski, who directed the second movie, returns to direct the third film, again working off a script by (franchise creator) Derek Kolstad.
John Wick 3 Poster
The first proper poster for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum has arrived, which also has a rainy motion poster version as well, appropriately showing John enduring hostile weather on the outside looking in at the safety of the hitman's haven, the Continental Hotel, from which he has been unceremoniously barred after his actions in the previous film.
Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.
EmoticonEmoticon