Throughout the history of Hollywood, many fictional heroes have seen their odysseys drift in and out of the pop culture zeitgeist, but it’s the serialized plights that tend to stick out the most. From the Man with No Name and Marty McFly, to Frank Drebin and Max Rockatansky, the great cinematic protagonists and the worlds built around them have captured imaginations across generations. 1ap4l

Arguably, the man of the current moment is John Wick, the latest and greatest of action heroes to have tucked themselves into Keanu Reeves’ back pocket over the course of his career. His adventures have consistently scored high with critics and ticket sales since 2014, and the train won’t be stopping any time soon. Even now, he’s dominating the Hulu sphere with not one, not two, but three different excursions.

Per FlixPatrol, John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum are all charting together on Hulu’s film rankings in the United States at the time of writing. A respective third, fourth, and 10th place finish for the noir-tinted, body-dropping epics are sizing up against the likes of Twilight (sixth place), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (eighth place), and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (ninth place) for one of the most biblical streaming wars yet.

The John Wick films follow Jardani Jovonovich (also known as John Wick, Baba Yaga, and The Bogeyman), a retired hitman who built himself a mythical reputation within the international assassin community. But when a group of Russian-American gangsters kill his dog, John snaps back into action and sets off on a vengeful journey, which leads to greater and greater conflict with the assassin underworld.

The special sauce of the John Wick films lies in their elite technical prowess, rather than any true narrative brilliance. Although, it’s not completely lacking in the latter department, either. There’s a thesis established in the first film regarding the rules that assassins must follow, lest they be no different from bloodthirsty animals. This, of course, serves to highlight how these rules make the act of killing even more disturbing, as though murder can be justified by following the rules like a sports match, and also by carrying it out on those who break said rules.

But, again, it’s the way that John Wick presents itself that makes it so effective, rather than what it’s presenting. Disciplined camera work and neon dystopias make for visual treat after scrumptious visual treat, and the worldbuilding — always shown and never told — is refreshingly organic to the point of being world-class. It helps, of course, that the world itself has so many curious bells, whistles, and backstories occupying it, and even better is how they all ultimately end up in service to John and his plight rather than anything self-indulgent.

Indeed, you’re never going to see a John Wick film thrive on realistic combat, sturdy intrigue, or revelatory emotions, but you’ll also be hard-pressed to find a franchise that not only does what John Wick does, but accomplishes it so robustly and consistently time and time again. To channel the man himself: “Good, lots of good.”

Keanu Reeves is the gift that keeps on giving. The actor seems to constantly be in the public eye for all the right reasons, a truly hard feat these days. A story that is once again surfacing is that, during filming for John Wick: Chapter 2 he would train with action star Charlize Theron as she filmed Atomic Blonde concurrently.

Reeves is known to be one of the nicest men in Hollywood, often because of how he interacts with fans or just the public in general. Here he is being recognized for how he collaborates with other actors as he helped the Atomic Blonde team in their quest to recreate the success of the first John Wick film. The first film was a much smaller project, featuring Reeves as a former assassin out for revenge after mobsters killed his dog (and sprouted a million memes in the process). The film blew up and kickstarted one of the biggest action franchises of the last decade.

The folks over at Atomic Blonde wanted to capture some of the magic of the film, much of which came from the insane stunts and fight scenes that Reeves and his co-stars pulled off. Though Theron had already cemented herself as a strong action star, with films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Aeon Flux already under her belt, the Atomic Blonde team thought they would make use of the fact that Reeves was filming in the same studio at the same time, per Theron in a 2017 interview with Buzzfeed.

“We would kind of spar with each other. I’d be like, ‘Come on, Keanu. Let’s take it down.’ S*** like that. It was very macho. It was great.” They would train together at director, David Leitch’s gym and stunt training academy 87Eleven Action Design (Leitch directed John Wick and Atomic Blonde).

Many would sure love to see the two collaborate in a film together after hearing this news, and it could be possible that we could see a potential crossover given how franchises occasionally do so. Another one of the co-founders of 87Eleven Action Design and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, has said that he would love to work with the actress, (via The Direct) saying, “Charlize Theron when she did Atomic Blonde, I saw that went, ‘Oh my God, I gotta work with this woman. She’s awesome.” So who knows, perhaps we will get to see all those training sessions put to work if Reeves and Theron do end up on the big screen together in an action fuelled caper.

The entire entertainment industry was plunged into a state of shock yesterday when character actor Lance Reddick suddenly ed away at the age of 60, with the news of his death coming completely out of the blue.

After all, the veteran of countless high-profile movies and TV shows had been hitting the press trail for John Wick: Chapter 4 as recently as this week, and it was no surprise that so many of his friends, colleagues, and contemporaries were quick to voice their utter shock and disbelief at the ing of a star who could always be relied on to give a solid performance regardless of which genre or medium he was appearing in.

The fourth installment in the ass-kicking action franchise hits theaters next week, and will be tinged with bittersweetness as a result. Reddick will reprise his role as wizened sage and Continental veteran Charon, and was lined up to return once again in both Ana de Armas-led spinoff Ballerina and the in-development Chapter 5.

With that in mind, his reflections on the past, present, and future of John Wick in an interview with Collider conducted only several days ago is more poignant and powerful than anyone wanted it to be.

“For me, it’s two things. First of all, I’m just amazed that it’s gotten to this point because it started as such a small, almost an independent film that I wasn’t sure was going to be much more than maybe a cult hit that I knew was just a great script that turned into this juggernaut.

So, the fact that I’m part of not just such a big franchise, but such a big franchise that’s so, so well done, and it literally changed action films and then created a world that you’d never seen before is amazing to me. And then, the fact that I’ve been fortunate in my career to have had that experience, particularly television, more than once. So I’m just kind of, “Damn, this is my career. This is cool.”

With Chapter 4 earning rave reviews to continue John Wick‘s ascension as arguably the finest cinematic universe in the industry, it’s reassuring to know that the future is in safe hands, even if it’s tragic that Reddick won’t be around to see where it ends up heading next.

While the first installment was a minor success, earning a respectable $86 million at the box office, it was John Wick: Chapter 2 that established the neck-snapping Keanu Reeves franchise as a critical and commercial force to be reckoned with.

Thanks to the rave reviews and word-of-mouth buzz, not only did theatrical takings double to $171 million, but an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score and 85% rating signaled that there was plenty of substance to go with the style.

Sure, the series lives and dies by the intricately-choreographed mayhem on display, but the unique world-building of the assassin underworld is just as intriguing as waiting to find out which creative methods Reeves will use to dispatch his enemies.

Taking the action out of New York and across Europe, Wick’s terrible attempt at staying retired finds him drawn back into the life of an executioner, when an old acquaintance seeks to reclaim a debt owed. Grudgingly accepting his task, the suave sharpshooter once again leaves a trail of awe-inspiring destruction in his wake.

Expanding the scope, scale, and lore, Chapter 2 puts all of its gold markers on the table, allowing director Chad Stahelski and his leading man to luxuriate in long takes that showcase the hand-to-hand combat and inventive gunplay in all of their glory, yielding one of the best action sequels of the modern era in the process

We’ve still got a way to go before Chapter 4 comes to theaters in March 2023, but Netflix subscribers have been occupying themselves with the second entry in the meantime. As per FlixPatrol, John Wick: Chapter 2 has jumped 20 places on the platform’s global most-watched list since yesterday, and if it carries on its current trajectory, the Top 10 should be in sight by the end of tomorrow.

Ruby Rose doesn’t have the most extensive of filmographies, but she’s still managed to share the screen with some of cinema’s most prominent action heroes. Having starred opposite Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, ed Vin Diesel’s team in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, helped Jason Statham battle a giant shark in The Meg and unsuccessfully tried to take down Keanu Reeves’ master assassin in John Wick: Chapter 2, you can bet she’s picked up more than a few tricks from the aforementioned genre veterans. The 34 year-old clearly fancies herself as action cinema’s next big thing, and can currently be seen in VOD actioner SAS: Red Notice, in which she plays a cold and emotionless terrorist who hijacks a train, holding the entire Channel Tunnel to ransom. Despite a solid ing cast that includes Sam Heughan, Tom Wilkinson, Andy Serkis and more, it’s pretty much the latest in a long line of thinly-veiled and one-note Die Hard knockoffs, with Heughan’s almost laughably detached Special Forces operative cast in the John McClane role.

“I think Keanu Reeves will always be the number one. Not only is it Keanu, who I just adore, it’s John Wick, a film franchise I think is just fantastic. We had so much fun doing it and that was a very iconic moment for me.”

Anyone that’s seen the YouTube videos of Reeves on the gun range in preparation to play John Wick know that he’s not kidding around when it comes to the choreography, while he’s also got decades’ worth of martial arts experience for good measure, so it’s little wonder he topped Ruby Rose‘s list of onscreen adversaries.

Despite glowing reviews from critics and a stellar cast, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) brought in a meager $33.25 million at the domestic box office on opening weekend, performing well under the expected $40-60 million that many analysts had predicted prior to its release. This makes it the weakest opening of the DCEU, though many have taken to Twitter in its defense – and for good reason; it’s a fantastic and fun way to spend an evening with Harley Quinn and her gang of misfits. But love it or hate it, an interesting comparison from Gitesh Pandya has brought some perspective to the film’s box office performance. 2017’s popular R-rated February release John Wick: Chapter 2, a movie very similar to Birds of Prey in violence levels and tone, opened at just $30.4 million. This means that Birds of Prey has actually performed a good bit better than the average R-rated February release, and in doing so, it’s already made back its budget and found itself in a nice spot going forward.

New year, new episode of Cinemaholics! This week, we’re taking an extended look back at the best movies of 2017, along with some discussion about the year’s overall box office, movies that disappointed us the most, and theater experiences that surprised the heck out of us. Additionally, we also list off our own Top 10s, so expect plenty of overlap and a clear favorite between all of us. For those of you who want it in writing, here it is: Will Ashton’s Top 10 of 2017: 1. Brigsby Bear 2. The Shape of Water 3. Raw 4. Lady Bird 5. The Florida Project 6. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond 7. mother! 8. I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore 9. Good Time 10. The Killing of a Sacred Deer Jon Negroni’s Top 10 of 2017: 1. Baby Driver 2. Bad Genius 3. Blade Runner 2049 4. The Florida Project 5. Brigsby Bear 6. Coco 7. Lady Bird 8. The Shape of Water 9. The Big Sick 10. Call Me By Your Name Maveryke Hines’s Top 10 of 2017: 1. Good Time 2. Brigsby Bear 3. Baby Driver 4. Lady Macbeth 5. The Florida Project 6. The Big Sick 7. Blade Runner 2049 8. John Wick: Chapter 2 9. The Killing of a Sacred Deer 10. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (Bonus) Matt Donato’s Top 10 of 2017: 1. Lady Bird 2. Call Me By Your Name 3. Logan 4. Prevenge 5. I, Tonya 6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi 7. It 8. Free Fire 9. Coco 10. The Disaster Artist If you like what you hear, become a Cinemaholic! Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube via the WGTC channel or available episodes on Apple Podcasts or directly from the full archive. Feel free to hang out with us on Facebook and Twitter for episode updates as well, and be sure to email cinemaholicspodcast [at] gmail.com to submit any and all . You might just hear your email read on next week’s show!

How do you produce a worthy follow-up to a movie that many consider to be one of the greatest and most refreshing action films of the last decade? Chad Stahelski was left facing that exact conundrum back in February, when the writer-director took point for John Wick: Chapter 2. Taking over all directing duties from the departing David Leitch – the two had worked together on the original John Wick, before Leitch checked out of The Continental to helm Charlize Theron-fronted action movie, Atomic Blonde – Stahelski dramatically expanded the scope of the John Wick underworld, sending Keanu Reeves’ ice-cold assassin to Rome in the process. The end result was a good – if not great – sequel that simultaneously opened up a bloody new chapter in John Wick‘s saga all the while leaving the door open for a potential threequel. And make no mistake, a John Wick: Chapter 3 is absolutely on the cards over at Lionsgate. Reeves and Chad Stahelski are reportedly mulling over ideas for Wick’s next globe-trotting tale, and it seems MCU stalwart Samuel L. Jackson wants in on the action. Perhaps it’ll rein in the focus to chronicle John’s attempted escape from New York? Or will Chapter 3 blow the doors open and delve deeper into the labyrinthine world of assassins and cold-blooded killers that was teased at the tail-end of Chapter 2? John Wick: Chapter 2 makes a beeline to Digital HD on May 23rd, before making the jump across to Blu-ray and DVD on June 13th. If you feel so inclined, you can pre-order Chad Stahelski’s super-stylish sequel here, and by taking said “blood oath,” you’ll even unlock exclusive content, the details of which are yet to be revealed.

He actually was less interested in that than he was in an idea he floated with me, and he’s floated it with me twice now. He wants to do, over a Nick Fury movie, John Wick 3 with Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves. He absolutely loves the John Wick movies. He wants in. He doesn’t want in, he wants in with a capital IN. Seriously, I think he will do whatever he needs to do to get in on John Wick 3.

John Wick: Chapter 3 is currently in the nascent stages of development, but that hasn’t stopped Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski from drafting up early story ideas. Jackson, meanwhile, is on our screens right now through Kong: Skull Island, and has filled his slate for the next two-to-three years with the likes of The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Avengers: Infinity War (?) and Pixar’s long-anticipated sequel, The Incredibles 2. The latter is locked in for June 15th, 2018, and will herald the return of SLJ’s ice-cool Super, Frozone.

Maybe it’s my head-cold delirium. Maybe I’ve been injecting too much action awesomeness into my eyeballs recently. Whatever the reason, I can’t stop thinking about John Wick: Chapter 2. Specifically, who’s ass John Wick could kick next. Well, not exactly KICK, but fill with cold, hard steel – BULLETS, talking about bullets here. You get where I’m going with this. Keanu Reeves’ reluctant hitman has become a household name overnight, and there’s no reason to retire his bulletproof suit anytime soon. So, where does John Wick: Chapter 3 go from here? I say a crossover. Hear me out. Who doesn’t love a good heavyweight bout between familiar characters? Freddy Vs. Jason! King Kong Vs. Godzilla! John Wick versus – I don’t know yet! That’s the question I’m here to pose. What franchise could Wick and his nameless pup wander into, and then set ablaze? Action, drama, horror, who knows? Don’t lie, the concept excites you. On that note, let’s take a look at some John Wick crossovers you didn’t know you needed, starting with the most obvious…

“I think the opening of the film should be Wick just trying to escape from New York,” Reeves told Empire. “Literally trying to get off the island. Maybe he asks [Lawrence Fisburne’s character] the Bowery King for help. Maybe John Leguizamo comes and helps me out. “John, I can’t do it, you’re excommunicado!””

“Maybe the High Table shows up. And then the High Table starts firing guns. And then maybe this kind of thing starts to happen between the High Table and Continental? Maybe John is the activator of this confrontation, and perhaps there’s a war? Wouldn’t that be awesome?!”

Bouncing off those comments, Chad Stahelski continued:

“I’d say, if we were so lucky to continue the series, I’d like to expand the world maybe another 25%,” he explained. “But then I’d like to go deeper into the world that people already know – another 50%.”

John Wick’s sophomore outing scored relatively strong reviews when it stormed into theaters last week. However, it’s really the box office figures that will determine the fate of John Wick: Chapter 3. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the sequel as time wears on but for now, tell us, what would you like to see from Mr. Wick’s third screen outing?

Welcome to the first episode of We Got This Covered’s Cinemaholics, the movie review talk show where two of your maybe-favorite WGTC writers, Jon Negroni and Will Ashton, talk about the latest big screen releases and shows. They’re not just movie fans. They’re not just film critics. They’re Cinemaholics. This week, Jon and Will spend a lot of time discussing The LEGO Batman Movie and John Wick: Chapter 2 (spoiler-free). They also speak briefly on some exciting new TV shows, including Legion on FX and Doubt on CBS, which premieres this week. Finally, they touch on Fifty Shades Darker and provided some early spoiler-free thoughts on Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness, starring Dane DeHaan. For a full rundown of what’s discussed on this episode, see below: 00:06:54 – Show and Tell: Fifty Shades Darker, Doubt, A Cure For Wellness, Legion 00:27:54 – The LEGO Batman Movie (see WGTC’s review here). 00:47:55 – John Wick: Chapter 2 (see WGTC’s review here). If you like what you hear, become a Cinemaholic! Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube, via the WGTC channel (iTunes coming soon). Alternatively, you can also it directly here. For more, be sure to follow us on Twitter for episode updates and email cinemaholicspodcast [at] gmail.com to submit your .