Fresh on the heels of the announcement that will start shooting this summer, we get a new trailer for another Keanu Reeves-starring vehicle: .
(Spoilers for first two films below.)
For those who missed the first two movies, John Wick (Reeves) is a legendary hitman (known as “Baba Yaga”) who tried to retire when he fell in love and got married.
Unfortunately, he’s drawn back into the dark underground world by an act of senseless violence after his wife’s death. Nothing will stop John Wick from seeking retribution. The first grossed more than $88 million worldwide for a film that cost around $30 million to make, and it was praised for its brisk pace, heart-stopping action sequences, and stylish feel.
So naturally, there was a sequel. In , Wick takes on a whole slew of Russian baddies but finds himself honor-bound (per the professional hitman’s code) to go on one last assignment. Of course he succeeds—he’s John Wick—but the client, Italian crime lord Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), tries to cover his tracks by posting a bounty on Wick’s head. Wick ends up killing Santino inside the Intercontinental Hotel, which is supposed to be a safe space for assassins, and is declared “excommunicato,” cutting him off from all the resources the hitman underground provides.
And that’s where picks up, with Wick scrambling to find allies (and ammo) to fight off pretty much the entire underworld of assassins, all after a $13 million bounty is put on his head. The first trailer dropped in January, a juggernaut of action set against an ominous countdown to replicate the one-hour head start Wick has been given before his excommunication goes into effect.
“You have no idea what’s coming.”
In the new trailer, we get even more action and tantalizing glimpses of the fascinating underground culture of assassins, with their gold coins, markers, and almost medieval code of honor—an element that has contributed a great deal to the franchise’s lasting success. There’s even a call-out to (yet another of Reeves’ iconic roles) when Intercontinental owner Winston (Ian MacShane) asks what he needs. Wick responds, “Guns. Lots of guns.”
New cast members include Anjelica Huston as The Director of the crime lord High Table—”There’s no escape for you”—and Halle Berry as fellow assassin (and dog lover) Sofia, a reluctant ally who owes Wick a debt. “After this, we are less than even,” she says in the new trailer. And Wick faces a formidable Chinese assassin, who admits he’s been looking forward to meeting him for ages. “So far you haven’t disappointed.” He rarely does. As Winston says in a portentous voiceover, “You have no idea what’s coming.”
opens May 17, 2019.
