The original John Wick movie caught the attention both of audience and critics, so a sequel was soon on the cards, and Reeves was happy to dive back in for Chapter 2.
“When we last left John Wick,” he says, “he was going off into the sunset – the moonset – with his dog. John Wick Chapter 2 takes place maybe five days after that. Now John is on a mission to reclaim his life. To me, it’s about John Wick fighting for John.”
Reeves admits that the new canine sidekick is very important, after the puppy in the original film was killed. “People were really affected by what happened to the dog, and I get it,” he says. “So one of the first things I heard going into the sequel was, ‘You don’t kill another dog do you?’ And we don’t! We have a new dog. He doesn’t even have a name, but he’s integral to the story because it’s part of what’s going on in John’s life. He’s responsible for the beast. So they have a journey together.”
Reeves is quick to admit that he doesn’t take the action work terribly seriously. “I don’t know any real jujutsu or judo or anything,” he laughs. “I do movie kung fu!”
He especially enjoyed that this film involved a reunion with his Matrix costar Laurence Fishburne, along with returning director Chad Stahelski, who was Reeves’ stunt double on the Matrix trilogy. Reeves said he asked Fishburne to join the sequel’s cast after he told him how much he had enjoyed the first John Wick.
And now Reeves is up for a third movie. “I love the character and the world,” he says. “Whether or not I get the chance to do another chapter is really up to the audience. If they enjoy what we did – and hopefully they do, fingers-crossed, because I really dig it – then I’ll have the chance to continue the story of the character and the world.”
And he feels that John Wick has allowed him to look at his career from a new perspective. “Back when I was doing Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, did I ever think I’d be doing something as cool as John Wick?” he laughs. “I was hoping that I’d be making films and would have a career, so there was a part of me that wanted to have a career like this. I’m bringing some joy to John Wick too!”
Watch the trailer for John Wich: Chapter 2:
