Keanu Reeves has revealed the touching reason why he keeps coming back to John Wick movies 10 years after he debuted as the title character.
The stars were out in force for the John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere in London on Monday night, where the 58-year-old actor discussed the film.
He explained why he still plays the role: “I love his humor, I love his willpower, I love his heartbreak and it’s really fun to play him in these movies, these movies are fun.”
Suggesting John’s character has been testing his limits, Keanu added to Metro, “I try really hard, but with John you have to try a little harder.”
At the premiere, Keanu led arrivals and looked dapper in a dark green corduroy suit while leading ladies Natalia Tena and Rina Sawayama cut glamorous figures.
Nearly a decade after Keanu’s John Wick went on a rampage following the death of his beloved dog, the assassin may just have a new furry friend in the final trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4.
The first John Wick film found the title character living a peaceful life in retirement, with an adorable dog as a companion, a final gift from his dying wife.
When a group of assassins made the mistake of killing his beloved dog, hitman Wick came out of retirement and went on a rampage.
Now John is fighting for his very life, trying to take down the mysterious hitman organization known as the High Table in the final trailer (via Lionsgate Movies)… which comes in the middle of ‘Wick Week’. ” which was launched with the news that the film will be nearly three hours long.
The trailer features Nas’ 2001 track Got Ur Self a Gun (which samples The Sopranos theme song Woke Up This Morning) and also teases the new canine friend.
The trailer opens with a mysterious DJ announcing a song, stating, “This song is for you, Mr. Wick,” as she plays Nas’ new track.
Wick is seen meeting The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), who presents him with a new (presumably bulletproof) suit, adding, “42 regular, right?”
“Yeah,” Wick says, as Winston (Ian McShane) adds, “And it starts,” as we see Wick taking out a number of assassins in a crowded nightclub.
Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada) is seen briefly, as is Marquis (Bill Skarsgard), as Winston tells John, “Challenge him to single combat.”
John is seen meeting Marquis at a café overlooking the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as Marquis tells him, “If you win, you will have your freedom”, although it is still unclear who the opponent of John.
Another shot shows Akira (Rina Sawayama) stabbing a man with two knives as he crawls down a flight of stairs, while we see more shots of John taking on multiple enemies at once on a rooftop.
We get a new look at Charon (Lance Reddick) as well as another shot of John in another shootout at a rainy nightclub.
John is seen driving his black Ford Mustang Boss 429 (without a driver’s side door) as we catch a glimpse of a new character nicknamed Killa (Scott Adkins) saying, “The Baba Yaga” and laughing.
We also get a new look at Caine, played by martial arts legend Donnie Yen, who was seen showing off his mastery with a samurai sword, as well as a look at Shamier Anderson’s Tracker.
The Elder (George Georgiou) is heard saying, “The only way for John Wick to have freedom and peace is in death”, as John is seen riding through a desert to see the Elder.
“Yeah, not really,” John said to his supposed prediction before pulling a gun on him.
John is seen in another shootout near the chaotic Champs-Élysées in Paris, overlooking the Arc de Triomphe… when he finds a surprising ally: a new dog, running over the roofs of cars and biting a man’s arm trying to kill John.
The final shot shows the dog looking at John with a whimper as John watches him… as the trailer comes to an end.
John Wick: Chapter 4 also stars Natalia Tena, Aimee Kwan, Marko Zaror and Clancy Brown, which will arrive in theaters on March 24.
It will only come up against IFC Films’ The Lost King starring Sally Hawkins, although no box office screenings are available at this time.
Lionsgate also has the John Wick Ballerina spin-off in the works, starring Ana de Armas with Reeves also returning as John Wick.