Bond girl Halle Berry bolsters the cast of 'John Wick: Chapter 3'
The critical and commercial success of the first two films of Summit Entertainment's Keanu Reeves-starrer John Wick franchise meant that a third movie was only a matter of time.
'John Wick: Chapter 3' is reportedly in production, with The Hollywood Reporter stating that Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will be a part of the third installment.
Berry has reportedly signed up to the forthcoming movie alongside Anjelica Huston, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos, and Jason Mantzoukas, but details about their characters have not been revealed, according to Variety.
Though it was rumored that Berry will not be portraying the villain.
The 51-year-old confirmed her casting in multiple posts on Instagram, with the first containing an image branded with the logo 'The Continental' and reading: "See you in a year, Mr. Wick."
Accompanying the post was the caption '5.17.19' which is the date the movie will be premiering in theaters across the US.
A second post revealed that Berry's character would be named 'Sofia' and had the actress posing alluringly in a black and white photograph.
The series began in 2014, with ex-hitman John coming out of retirement to track down the gangsters that killed his dog. The 2017 sequel saw Wick returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt only to discover a large bounty has been put on his life.
'John Wick: Chapter 3' will follow Wick on the run as he is being hunted for a global $14 million open contract on his life, and for breaking The Continental Hotel's central rule of not taking a life on its grounds.
His victim was a member of the High Table who had ordered the open contract on him and Wick is given a one-hour head start before he's 'excommunicado' - membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members.
Chad Stahelski, who directed the first two films, will be returning to direct the third installment. Common, Laurence Fishburne, and Ruby Rose are set to reprise their roles as Cassian, The Bowery King, and Ares from the second movie respectively, and Hiroyuki Sanada has been cast as the movie's primary antagonist.
Derek Kolstad will also be returning to the franchise to pen the script and will be joined by the writing team of Chris Collins, Marc Abrams, and Shay Atten. 'John Wick: Chapter 3' will be produced by Thunder Road Pictures' Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee in association with 87Eleven Productions.
Stahelski and Kolstad are reportedly also creating a television series based on the characters and settings of the movie. It has been tentatively titled as 'The Continental' and will focus on the hotel featured in the films, as well as the assassins who visit the safe haven. As of January 2018, the series has been confirmed to air on the Starz network.