Chad Stahelski Officially Back As ‘John Wick 3’ Director
Keanu Reeves' John Wick isn’t the only person we’re thinking is back forJohn Wick: Chapter 3:Chad Stahelski, the co-director ofJohn Wickand the director ofJohn Wick: Chapter 2will return to helm yet another neon-drenched, gunplay-filled entry in the on-goingJohn Wicksaga. So put on your best suit, grab your dog’s leash, and get ready for moreWick.
What a journeyJohn Wickhas had. When the first film blasted its way into theaters, no one could’ve predicted it would span a franchise. I personally remember reading the premise – a hitman seeks revenge after his dog is murdered – and thinking, “Well, that probably won’t be very good.” But I was wrong! The film was an absolute blast, and a big enough hit to spawn a sequel. There’s no sign of the franchise slowing down: there’s aJohn WickTV spin-offin the works, andJohn Wick 3has already received a green light. And now comes word Chad Stahelski is coming back to be theJohn Wick 3director.Colliderconfirms Stahelski’s involvement, which was never entirely in doubt to begin with. But now that it’s a done-deal, expect more of the gloriously over-the-top mayhem that peppered the first two films.
It’s worth nothing that Stahelski didn’t start this journey alone. all parties agree that Stahelski directed the first film right alongside producerDavid Leitch, but DGA rules kept them from both being credited. Stahelski struck out on his own forJohn Wick: Chapter 2, however, while Leitch went off and madeAtomic Blonde.
Keanu Reeves will, of course, be returning. There are also unconfirmedreportsthatCommon,Laurence Fishburne, andRuby Rose, who all appeared inJohn Wick: Chapter 2, will be returning. Anotherrumorsays thatHiroyuki Sanada, fromThe Wolverine, will be the film’s main villain.
As for what to expect withJohn Wick: Chapter 3, plot details are obviously scant at the moment. The one constant will, of course, be Keanu Reeves, running around in a cool suit with a dog by his side and multiple guns at the ready. The conclusion ofJohn Wick: Chapter 2found Reeves' John Wick an outcast from the surprisingly complex hitman underworld, forced to run for his life. Stahelski toldColliderthat one thing he’d like to explore inJohn Wick 3is the ever-evolving intricacaies of the series:
“We want, not so much to go bigger on the third one, but to show you more of the intricacies of the world… I feel like there are all these different subtleties that I skipped over in Number Two, that I’d like to go back to on [chapter three] and show you the inner workings of different parts of New York. So rather than massive set pieces, I’d like to show you cooler and more intricate ones… I think it would be a mistake budget wise and creatively to just go big and blow up a freeway. That’s not our gig. That’s a comic book or a Bond gig. We want to show you cool and intricate details.”
