John Wick: Chapter 2

John Wick: Chapter 2 is a 2017 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad. As the direct sequel to John Wick (2014), it is the second installment in the John Wick film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, with a supporting cast of Common, Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Lance Reddick, Peter Stormare, Bridget Moynahan, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane. The film's plot follows retired hitman John Wick (Reeves) as he is forced back into his old life to fulfill a blood oath to crime lord Santino D'Antonio (Scamarcio).

Following the box office success of the previous film, Stahelski and the first film's uncredited co-director David Leitch said a sequel film began development in February 2015. Later that same month, Jon Feltheimer confirmed plans for additional John Wick properties to create a media franchise, and announced the return of Kolstad as the sequel's screenwriter. Principal photography began in October 2015 and lasted until early that following year, with filming taking place in Montreal, New Jersey, New York City, and Rome.

John Wick: Chapter 2 had its premiere at the Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles on January 30, 2017, and was released by Lionsgate in the United States on February 10. The film received acclaim from critics, with praise for the action sequences, direction, editing, visual style, and the performances of the cast, particularly Reeves. It grossed US$174.3 million worldwide, becoming the then-highest grossing film in the franchise. A sequel, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, was released in May 2019.

Plot

John Wick infiltrates a smuggling compound run by Abram Tarasov, who is highly strung following the recent deaths of his nephew Iosef and brother Viggo at John's hands. There, he recovers his stolen Boss 429 Mustang and kills all of Abram's men in a violent rampage, but spares Abram himself under the promise of peace. Returning home, he sends his Mustang off to be repaired by Aurelio and attempts to restart his life of quietude.

That night, John is visited by the Camorra crime boss Santino D'Antonio, who, given John's brief return from retirement, is now seeking his services. John is bound by a "marker" (a medallion symbolizing a blood oath) with Santino, who had helped him complete the "impossible task" that allowed him to retire and marry Helen. Nevertheless, John refuses, prompting Santino to destroy his house with a grenade launcher. After surviving Santino's attack, he travels to the Continental Hotel in New York City, where Winston reminds him that the underworld has two unbreakable rules: no "conducting business" (i.e., assassinations) on Continental grounds, and honoring the marker. To avoid a death sentence, John reluctantly accepts Santino's marker and is tasked with assassinating Santino's sister Gianna, allowing Santino to claim her seat at the "High Table," a council of twelve high-level crime bosses in the underworld. Santino sends Ares, his mute bodyguard, to observe John's mission.

In Rome, Italy, John makes his way through Gianna's coronation and finds her in her dressing room. Faced with certain death, she chooses to slit her wrists, after which he shoots her in the head to end her suffering and fulfill Santino's marker. While leaving the site, John is attacked by Gianna's bodyguard, Cassian, forcing him to flee to the nearby catacombs, where he is double-crossed by Ares, who intends to kill him to tie up loose ends on Santino's behalf. After killing most of Ares' henchmen, Cassian again pursues John, with the ensuing fight leading them into the Rome Continental, where they are stopped from "conducting business". John explains that he was forced to kill Gianna due to her brother's marker. Cassian, while understanding, tells him that he cannot let the assassination go unpunished, but promises to grant him a quick death.

The Rome Continental's manager, Julius, gives John safe passage back to New York. Santino has opened a contract to have John assassinated, ostensibly to avenge his sister's death. As John fights off numerous assassins, Winston visits Santino and confirms the marker's fulfillment, thus freeing John from being unable to defy or harm Santino.

In the New York City Subway, John encounters Cassian, and the two men engage in a grueling melee that ends with Cassian being stabbed in the aorta and left for dead. Now severely injured, John seeks aid from an underground crime boss known as the "Bowery King." Intrigued by his intent to kill a member of the High Table, the Bowery King sportingly gives John a Kimber M1911 pistol with seven bullets—one for each million of the contract. He also directs him to an art museum, where Santino holds a gala. John attacks the museum and kills all of Santino's subordinates, including Ares, whose actions buy time for Santino to escape to the Continental, where he boasts about remaining in sanctuary indefinitely. Despite Winston's calls for restraint, John executes Santino in the Continental lounge.

The next day, Winston meets with John and explains that the Camorra has doubled the bounty on John's head, offering it globally. Further, for "conducting business" on Continental grounds, per the High Table's rules, Winston is forced to declare John "excommunicado," terminating his privileges and access to underworld resources. However, due to their friendship, Winston delays the excommunicado status by one hour and provides him with a marker for future use. Before leaving, John tells Winston to warn every High Table assassin that he will kill everyone who tries to hunt him down. As John departs, Winston formally initiates the excommunicado contract process, setting it to go live in one hour. Increasingly tense, John begins running as phones around him start to ring.

Cast

• Keanu Reeves as John Wick:
  A legendary hitman who comes out of retirement after Russian mobsters break into his house, kill his puppy, and steal his car. After wiping out his offenders, he is wholly thrust back into the criminal underworld in order to fulfill a blood oath to the man who enabled his retirement.
• Riccardo Scamarcio as Santino D'Antonio:
  An Italian crime boss who enabled John's retirement by helping him complete an "impossible task" in exchange for John swearing by a blood oath medallion known as a "marker." Invoking the marker, he seeks to have his sister assassinated by John, with the intention of usurping her position and then eliminating John to tie up loose ends.
• Claudia Gerini as Gianna D'Antonio:
  An Italian crime boss who inherited her father's empire and status as a member of the prestigious "High Table." She is the sister of Santino and an old friend of John.
• Ian McShane as Winston Scott:
  The owner and manager of the Continental Hotel in New York City. He is a powerful underworld figure and a close friend of John, for whom he acts as a father figure.
• Ruby Rose as Ares:
  A mute assassin who serves as Santino's personal bodyguard.
• Common as Cassian:
  An assassin who serves as Gianna's personal bodyguard.
• Laurence Fishburne as the "Bowery King":
  An underground crime lord of New York City and an enemy-turned-acquaintance of John.
• Lance Reddick as Charon:
  The concierge at Winston's Continental Hotel in New York City and an acquaintance of John.
• Peter Stormare as Abram Tarasov:
  A Russian crime boss in New York City and the last of the Tarasov family's major figures. He is the uncle of Iosef Tarasov and the brother of Viggo Tarasov, both of whom were killed by John in the events of the first film.
• Franco Nero as Julius:
  The owner and manager of the Continental Hotel in Rome.
• John Leguizamo as Aurelio:
  The owner of a high-end chop shop and an old friend of John.
• Bridget Moynahan as Helen Wick:
  John's late wife, who succumbed to a terminal illness sometime before the end of John's retirement.
• Thomas Sadoski as Jimmy:
  A police officer in New York City and an acquaintance of John.
• Peter Serafinowicz as "The Sommelier":
  A weapons supplier at the Continental Hotel.
• Luca Mosca as "The Tailor":
  A tailor and armorer at the Continental Hotel.
• Youma Diakite as Lucia:
  The concierge at Julius' Continental Hotel in Rome.
• Tobias Segal as Earl:
  A "homeless" criminal and assassin who works for the Bowery King in New York City.
• Wass Stevens as the Consiglieri:
  A Russian mobster and Abram's top subordinate.
• Chukwudi Iwuji as Mr. Akoni:
  An underworld figure who is in debt to or part of the High Table and in an uneasy position with Gianna's organization.
• Yamamotoyama Ryūta as Rajah:
  A Japanese sumo wrestler and assassin who hunts John in an attempt to claim Santino's bounty.

Production

Development

In February 2015, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch stated that a John Wick sequel had begun development. In the same month, Jon Feltheimer, CEO of Lionsgate, stated during a conference call that "We see John Wick as a multiple-title action franchise". Additionally, it was reported that Kolstad would return to write the screenplay. In May 2015, it was confirmed that a sequel was greenlit, and Lionsgate would be selling the film at the Cannes Film Festival. Reeves and Stahelski appeared in a 30-minute AOL BUILD interview in early February 2017 to discuss the development and casting of the film.