Keanu Reeves And Laurence Fishburne Finish ‘John Wick 2,’ Set For 2017 Release
Keanu Reeves rejoined his old partner Laurence Fishburne for John Wick 2. Keanu Reeves just wrapped up shooting for the sequel to the 2014 hit action film John Wick. The original movie managed to refresh the action genre, while giving superhero movies hefty competition. In John Wick 2, Keanu gets his Matrix mentor back. Laurence Fishburne will join the sequel as The Bowery King.
Reeves and Fishburne’s famous team-up led that legendary success which is The Matrix. John Wick 2 is a very different type of movie, so the different setup and different roles will give both veteran actors a chance to see if the passing years have had any effect on their dynamic chemistry. Perhaps age and experience will give these men an even better chance at renewed success together.
Everything you need to know about the #JohnWick sequel!! https://t.co/DMU1MDWmEw pic.twitter.com/IxtIEcZtvE
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When asked about Fishburne’s role, Reeves gave nothing but praise, as IGN reports.
“Laurence has this fantastic role as a character in the underworld. He plays such a great character in the piece and he brings of course humor, intelligence, charisma, and fascination. He’s such an incredible actor and it was a pleasure to work with him again.”
If anyone can add more to the John Wick saga, it’s Laurence Fishburne. His screen presence and acting chops should broaden the picture significantly, as long as the two actors haven’t gotten so big over time that they get in each other’s way. But the potential for something positive is too good to bother worrying.
The first John Wick was a wild action ride that saw professional butt-kicker Keanu come out of retirement after he gets robbed, beaten, and loses a very special dog, after losing his wife. His quest for revenge unleashed a fury on his adversaries, along with the action movie world.
Keanu says that if John Wick 1 was a black belt, the sequel is a third degree black belt! https://t.co/P1AelhY2ZM pic.twitter.com/ueSpiwYhxr
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Keanu told Collider the essence of his character, and the entire movie.
“John Wick is tapping into that thing about wanting to reclaim something that’s been taken from you.”
The heightened action sequences that play out with precision are the result of director Chad Stahelski, who worked as a stuntman and martial artist, and brought all the physicality of his personal experience into his movies. All that fight training and stunt experience was absorbed by Reeves, turning him into a no-nonsense man on a mission.
John Wick: Chapter Two expands the story and brings it to Rome. Reeves spoke more on how the sequel will be different from the first movie, also reported by IGN.
“For us it was just what is the next chapter? What is the continuation of this story? Opening up the world – the underground world. The world behind the world in terms of the assassins. Kind of evolving the action – if the first one was a black belt, then this one is third degree black belt. It’s such a fun project and a great character”
Before 2017 comes around, you can catch Keanu Reeves in Exposed, but only for United Kingdom-based viewers for now. In Exposed, Reeves plays a New York City detective seeking information about the death of his partner. Reeves also became a producer on the film. But that project didn’t quite turn out the way that Keanu or the film’s writer-director, Gee Malik Linton, intended. It wasn’t meant to be the cop drama it morphed into. It was originally envisioned as a metaphysical thriller.
In 2017, Keanu and action movie addicts will be able to rejoice again with a movie maybe good enough to take on the planned superhero film domination of the genre. How much John Wick 2 can cut through Marvel and DC’s mountainous presences will depend on this Keanu Reeves version of a non-superhero sort of superhero.
[Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images]
