‘John Wick: Chapter Two’ Updates: Keanu Reeves Gets New Dog, Fights Bigger Villain; Sequel Connects Directly to First Film

‘John Wick: Chapter Two’ will feature the return of Keanu Reeves as the titular hitman. He reportedly has a new dog and is set to fight a much bigger villain. The sequel is revealed to connect directly with its predecessor.

According to Movie Web, Reeves’ titular character will be getting a new dog. John’s original dog, a beagle named Daisy, was one of the reasons he was forced out of retirement in the first place. The preceding film saw some gangsters stealing his car and slaughtering Daisy, who was a beloved gift from his deceased wife.

Actor Ian McShane confirmed John Wick’s newfound canine friend while discussing the upcoming film during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. McShane plays Winston, an enigmatic owner of the Continental Hotel.

He said, "Keanu gets a new dog. But yes, it's about what comes on him after that. It's all about the assassin’s code, if you like. He's killed a Russian gangster and now there's a contract out on him, so it's a continuation. I loved the first one. This could be even better than the first."

Reeves returns as the legendary hitman forced out of retirement to extract his revenge. The sequel will find John in Rome as he faces off with some of the world’s most dangerous killers. Other members of the cast include McShane, Bridget Moynahan, Common, John Leguizamo, Lance Reddick, Ruby Rose, Peter Stormare, Laurence Fishburne, and Riccardio Scamario.

According to Comicbook.com, McShane was candid enough to reveal that the new film will pick up immediately after the events of the first one. He said, "Well, I’m kind of the only one left from the first one. This is same kind of premise. It’s not like two years later, but pretty soon after the first one. Keanu [Reeves] is a great guy.”

He added, “They got this terrific Italian kid, Riccardo Scamarcio, who plays the chief villain, who’s excellent, and we have a lot of stuff together. And the guy who directs it, Chad Stahelski, is really smart. He’s been Keanu’s stunt guy for [nearly] 20 years and he’s studied muay-thai. He’s got every stunt man who’s available for [this film]. The action looks like it was done by somebody out of Hong Kong instead of Hollywood which I always think is a great sight."

Stahelski also returns to direct the follow-up. He helmed the first film together with David Leitch. Both worked with Reeves as stuntmen in his mainstream hit ‘The Matrix’.

The first film earned praises from critics and received favorable earnings at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, ‘John Wick’ grossed $86 million worldwide against a production budget of $20 million.

‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ is an upcoming action-thriller film directed by Stahelski based on a screenplay by Derek Kolstad. It is produced by Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures together with Basil Iwanyk and co-producer Holly S. Rymon. Stahelksi and Leith are executive producing with Robert Bernacchi, Kevin Scott Frakes, and Jeff G. Waxman.

It is scheduled to premiere on February 10, 2017.