If, like the rest of the world, you can’t get enough of Keanu Reeves embarking on a bloody rampage to retrieve his car and avenge his puppy (one of the greatest plot set-ups of all-time), then make your way to theaters this November to celebrate the 10th anniversary of John Wick.Keanu Reeves is “thinking he’s back,” as the first John Wick returns to theaters for two days on November 3 and 6.
A retired hitman known as the “Baba Yaga” by his colleagues, John Wick (Reeves) is brought back into the game after the death of his wife. When robbers break into his house, steal his car, and kill his dog, John Wick will stop at nothing to avenge them, dragging himself back into the fray, and drawing attention from the mysterious High Table; the leaders of the underground world of assassins across the world. Presented by Fathom Events and Lionsgate, the 10th Anniversary screenings come with a newly cut trailer for the movie. As well as highlighting the incredible choreography, the trailer features the logline, “Keanu. F*cking. Reeves,” — which should be enough to sell any movie he’s in. Check out the new trailer below:
Director Chad Stahelski was worried that John Wick might be the last movie he ever got to direct. When the first trailer was released, many audiences wrote the movie off as a direct to DVD action B-Movie. However, John Wick stunned audiences when it was released in theaters in 2014, as viewers were amazed by the phenomenal action choreography, stunts, and expansive world. John Wick has since transformed into a billion-dollar franchise, and set the new blueprint for modern action movies.
John Wick’s Legacy Continues
The action genre tends to reinvent itself every decade or two. The 80s were dominated by hugely muscular heroes such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone before making way for every man stories like Die Hard. The late ’90s and early ’00s then became all about “bullet-time” following the release of The Matrix, with shaky cam spy thrillers later becoming all the rage, and, frankly, outstaying their welcome (in this writer’s opinion shaky cam is the worst thing to happen to action movies since Steven Segal).
John Wick had a similar effect on the action genre in the 2010s. Following its tremendous success, theaters and streamers were dominated by copycat movies like Atomic Blonde and Extraction, which mimicked John Wick‘s frenetic style of action design, favoring wide shots, long takes, and tight choreography over multiple edits and shaky camera work.
The John Wick saga remains as strong today as it did a decade ago. Keanu Reeves recently hung up the suit and tie following John Wick: Chapter 4, and hasn’t confirmed whether he will be returning for a fifth standalone movie. However, his tenure as the most unwavering assassin in the world isn’t over just yet. Reeves made a surprise appearance in the first trailer for Ballerina, the new spin-off movie starring Ana de Armas. The film follows an assassin of the Ruska Roma clan, who were first shown in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and centers on her quest for vengeance.
Ballerina
releases in theaters on June 6, 2025.
John Wick
returns to theaters on November 3 & 6.