This article contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 2.
After the success of the surprise 2014 hit, John Wick, and its equally blood-soaked sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 (both got good reviews and made a tidy profit at the box office), a third film was pretty much inevitable.
And so we have John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which sees star Keanu Reeves back as the titular assassin, this time on an all-out survival mission after the bounty placed on his head at the end of Chapter 2.
The film’s new subtitle means “prepare for war” in Latin, which should give you some idea of what to expect from the action-packed threequel. Here’s everything we know so far (we’ll keep this article updated, so check back for the latest news)…
John Wick: Chapter 3 poster
The film’s poster was revealed via its Twitter account and it’s a beaut, showing a rain-soaked Wick on the outside (looking in) of the Continental Hotel – the safe space for assassins that he was spectacularly barred from at the end of the second movie (hence the “Excommunicado” tagline). You can see the full poster – as well as a swanky “motion” version – below.
John Wick: Chapter 3 cast
Keanu Reeves is, unsurprisingly, reprising his role as the eponymous hitman. He’ll be joined by a few familiar faces from previous films: Ian McShane as Continental Hotel owner Winston, Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne as crime lord The Bowery King, and John Leguizamo as Wick’s best mate and mechanic, Aurelio. Common and Ruby Rose will also be returning as assassins Cassian and Ares, both of whom took on Wick in Chapter 2 and ultimately came out worse off.
Chapter 3 will introduce a few key new characters, too. Halle Berry is on board as Sofia (pictured below), an assassin friend of Wick’s and a fellow dog lover. “She has a past with John,” Reeves revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “I end up going to find her to see if she can help me.”
Meanwhile, martial arts stalwart Mark Dacascos is on board as the film’s main villain, and Hollywood royalty Anjelica Huston is playing a mysterious character who’s “responsible for [Wick’s] upbringing and his protection”, according to director Chad Stahelski.
John Wick: Chapter 3 plot
Parabellum takes place pretty much straight after the finale of Chapter 2, which ended with a huge bounty being placed on John’s head – and his exile from the Continental – after he killed ruthless mob boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) within the designated safe walls of the hotel for assassins. It wasn’t all bad, though – Continental owner and fatherly figure Winston (McShane) delayed the bounty by one hour to give John a “head start”.
The film’s official synopsis was revealed at industry event CinemaCon last year:
“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.”
Safe to say, that synopsis sets up an action-packed sequel that Stahelski has hinted will have a body count that “lands slightly north” of either of the previous films. There will be blood, indeed…
John Wick: Chapter 3 director
Chad Stahelski, who co-directed John Wick (with Deadpool 2’s David Leitch) and directed Chapter 2, is back at the helm of Parabellum. He’s no stranger to onscreen action – as a veteran stunt coordinator and co-founder (with Leitch, again) of “action design” company 87eleven, he’s worked on everything from 300 to The Hunger Games. He’s got history with Reeves, too – Stahelski was the stunt double for Neo in the Matrix movies.
John Wick: Chapter 3 release date
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum will hit UK cinemas on 17 May 2019.