New trailer for 'John Wick: Chapter 2' ups the ante on the action

By Rick Marshall December 19, 2016

John Wick: Chapter 2 - Trailer 2 - Warner Bros. UK

Keanu Reeves re-established himself as an action hero in 2014’s surprise hit John Wick, and after giving us our first peek at the trailer for next year’s John Wick: Chapter 2 a few months ago, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Pictures UK have delivered a fresh, even more intense second trailer for the much-anticipated sequel.

The latest trailer not only lays out a bit more of the story that propels Reeves’ hard-luck hitman back into the killing business, but it also offers a pretty impressive taste of how the sequel plans to up the ante on action the second time around.

John Wick: Chapter 2 is directed by Chad Stahelski, who co-directed the first film, and finds Reeves’ character heading off to Rome to deal with a former associate, an international assassins’ guild, and a ruthless crime lord. The film also brings back screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who scripted the 2014 film.

Along with Reeves as the titular killer with an affinity for black suits, the cast also includes Wanted actor Common, as well as Riccardo Scamarcio, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, and Franco Nero. Several cast members from the original film also reprise their roles, including Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane.

Made for just $20 million, John Wick was released in October 2014 and was a surprise hit that earned more than $86 million over its 13-week run in theaters. It also received positive reviews from professional critics and general audiences alike. The film was celebrated for its innovative fight choreography and influences drawn from classic action films — both Eastern and Western.

John Wick: Chapter 2 hits theaters February 10, 2017.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

Gladiator 2: release date, cast, plot, trailer, and more

Joaquin Phoenix stares into Russell Crowe's eyes as the latter is chained.

In 2000, director Ridley Scott introduced Maximus Decimus Meridius to the world in Gladiator. The historical epic starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general sold into slavery after being betrayed by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the Emperor's power-hungry son. Maximus becomes a gladiator and vows to exact his revenge on Commodus for killing his family. Gladiator was the second-highest-grossing film of 2000 and won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

Twenty-four years later, Scott returns to the arena of blood and sand with his long-awaited sequel, Gladiator 2. The film will follow an adult Lucius Verus, son of Lucilla and nephew of Commodus. Gladiator 2 is one of the most anticipated films on the 2024 calendar. Below, we explore everything you need to know about Gladiator 2, including the release date, cast, synopsis, and trailer.
When is Gladiator 2's release date?

Entertainment

7 best fight scenes in action movies, ranked

John Wick stands at the bottom of the stairs in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Fight scenes are the backbone of any action movie and come in all different shapes and sizes. Fight scenes can be loud, violent versions of controlled chaos, as evidenced in the John Wick movies. They can be smaller in scale and confined to one space, like the elevator sequence in Drive. Martial artists such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan proved that the elaborate choreography of hand-to-hand combat can be as graceful and poetic as a dance.

Whatever your preference is, fight scenes have a way of wowing the audience through brutal, visceral actions. Stunt teams and choreographers continue to raise the bar on what's possible in an action movie. To honor these cinematic sequences, Digital Trends ranks the best fight scenes captured in action movies.
7. The one-take stairwell sequence in Atomic Blonde (2017)
Atomic Blonde | The 10-Minute Single Take Fight Scene in 4K HDR

Entertainment

5 great Bill Skarsgård movies you should check out

Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis de Gramont standing with his hands in his pockets in John Wick Chapter 4.

Bill Skarsgård is more than just a very handsome face. In fact, he is among his generation's most interesting and arresting performers, a modern scream king known for his tendency toward playing intriguing and elusive characters in intense and often dark films. This year, Skarsgård is set to dominate with three high-profile releases — Boy Kills World this April, The Crow in August, and Robert Eggers' highly awaited horror film Nosferatu in December.

If the wait is too unbearable for you and you want to see more of the talented actor's work, I suggest you check out the 2022 miniseries Clark, one of Netflix's best miniseries, featuring Skarsgård's best and most charming performance to date. However, if you're more into movies, then be sure to check out these five films where Skarsgård showcases his mesmerizing talent and versatility.
5. It (2017)