Pre-production has just begun on John Wick: Chapter 3, and some casting announcements are reportedly on the way. The third installment of this action franchise is set to satisfy a teeth-grinding cliffhanger for fans, and director Chad Stahelski has said that it will open shortly after the final scene of John Wick: Chapter 2.
John Wick: Chapter 3 is written by Derek Kolstad, and he’s just recently turned in the final draft according to a report on Omega Underground. Kolstad and Stahelski have created the entire series together, along with co-director David Leitch Keanu Reeves himself.
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Reeves, for his part, has influenced the casting in the past — bringing Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne into Chapter 2. In September, People asked Reeves if he’d be interested in bringing more friends into the series, for example, Tilda Swinton. Reeves told reporters he was “all on board” with the idea.
After the massive critical and finanical success of John Wick: Chapter 2, the third installment was ordered almost immediately. However, production was delayed slightly due to scheduling conflicts amongst Stahelski, Kolstad, and co-director David Leitch. Leitch worked on John Wick but was absent from the sequel, though sources say he still played a big part in creating the film. At the time, Leitch was directing Atomic Blonde, and he even had Charlize Theron and Reeves train together to prepare for their roles as action heroes.
This time, production waited for Leitch while he worked on Deadpool 2. By the time he finishes the merc-with-a-mouth’s sequel, work will just be starting on John Wick: Chapter 3. The Wick series has propelled Leitch, Stahelski, and Kolstad to great heights. Though none of them had many big credits before, they’re now being trusted with high-budget properties and productions — and it’s paying off. Under Leitch, Atomic Blonde grossed $96 million worldwide, which undoubtedly helped him get the job on Deadpool 2.
Meanwhile, Stahelski has reportedly been hired to helm a reboot of Highlander, and Kolstad has two TV series announced, as well as work on the video game and comic book iterations of John Wick.
John Wick is a powerhouse of an action series. It has a tight, simple plot, with an inciting incident that appealed to every viewer’s most vulnerable sensibilities. It also brought Keanu Reeves into the limelight in a way that many thought they’d never see him again. It was a triumphant return for the 53-year-old actor, best known as the star of the iconic Matrix trilogy.
