Keanu Reeves confirms title for 'John Wick: Chapter 3'
The third chapter in the Keanu Reeves-starring 'John Wick' franchise has been in the works since October 2016, even before the release of the second, and the title for the movie has finally been confirmed by none other than Reeves himself.
The film will be titled 'John Wick 3: Parabellum,' with Reeves explaining the meaning behind it to ComingSoon.net: "It's part of that famous sentence, 'Si vis Pacem, Parabellum,' which translates as, 'If you want peace, prepare for war,'" he said.
Meaww previously reported that Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will be a part of the third installment alongside the likes Anjelica Huston, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos, and Jason Mantzoukas, with Berry confirming her casting in an Instagram post also revealing that she will be joining as 'Sofia.'
Asked about 'Sofia,' Reeves let some details slip. "John Wick is fighting for his life and thinks that Halle Berry’s character has some information for him. They have a past, and they get involved with The High Table, this kind of overlording entity," he said.
'John Wick' kicked off in 2014 with Reeves' ex-hitman John coming out of retirement to hunt down the gangsters who killed his dog and tried to steal his car. The sequel, 'John Wick: Chapter 2,' was released in 2017 and followed John as he returned to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, only to discover a large bounty on his life. Both films were commercially successful, with the first grossing $88.8 million and the second another $171.2 million.
According to an official description, 'John Wick 3: Parabellum' will find John Wick as he is on the run for "a global 14 million dollar open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule: taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds."
"The victim was a member of the High Table who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental’s manager, Winston, has given him a one-hour grace period before he’s “excommunicado” – membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City."
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 3: Parabellum' will be produced by Thunder Road Pictures' Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee in association with 87Eleven Productions and is set to premiere on May 17 next year.