‘John Wick 2’ Updates: Keanu Reeves teams up with directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski once more; Film gets own 1st person shooter game

By Staff Writer

Aug 25, 2015 08:50 AM EDT

'John Wick 2' leading man Keanu Reeves has teamed up with directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski once again for sequel. The film was revealed to get its own first-shooter videogame under gaming giant Starbreeze Studios.

In an article by ManlyMovie.net, Reeves is all set to reprise his role as the titular master assassin John Wick. He worked with stuntmen-turned-directors Leitch and Stahelski in the widely popular science-fiction 'Matrix' franchise in the past. The two were stunt doubles at that time. It was reported that Stahelski shared his enthusiasm over the reunion in a previous interview with Movies.com.

He said, "We have ideas for days and without blinking twice we know we can outdo the action from the original... It's the matter of story and how much you like the character.

That's always the most important." The director added that they are working on pushing Reeves' character to be more relatable and charismatic so audiences will continue to root for him in the sequel.

The first movie featured Reeves as a retired hitman who unwittingly returned to his life of murder to avenge the killing of his beloved pet beagle named Daisy. The dog was given to him by his deceased wife after she passed away as a present to help him get through his grief.

He was prompted to seek revenge against Russian gang members after the merciless act perpetrated on his only loyal companion. 'John Wick 2' is said to explore the character's origins in depth but this theory remains unconfirmed as of the moment.

According to Digital Spy, a new virtual reality game based off the film is currently in the works. Starbreeze, the Swedish gaming studio behind hits such as 'The Darkness', 'Payday 2' and 'The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay' has partnered with Lionsgate, WEVR and Grab to bring the action thriller to gaming fans all over the world. It was confirmed for release on the spring of 2016.

In another article by Starbreeze.com, the game will be published across multiple VR platforms. It will be a first-person standalone game set in the infamous Continental Hotel and will feature the titular assassin John Wick. The character will also be incorporated in the storyline of 'Payday' making it a crossover of sorts.

Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin said, "John Wick is the perfect cross-platform property to extend into the fast-growing gaming world, and we believe that a cutting edge VR game will deepen fan engagement and accelerate John Wick's evolution into one of our next big action franchises."

'John Wick 2' will be the follow-up to 2014 R-rated mainstream hit of the same name. The first film earned $78 million against a $21 million budget and was received with generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. It also restored Reeves' reputation as a bankable and certified action star in Hollywood.

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