Before we know it, the third film in the John Wick franchise will be in theaters and with it brings X-Men alum Halle Berry. According to franchise lead Keanu Reeves, Berry’s performance in John Wick 3: Parabellum “raised the bar” from any other project she’s done in the past.
Speaking at a press junket to help promote his upcoming film Replicas — a sci-fi thriller co-starring Iron Fist star Alice Eve — Reeves was happy to have Berry on board the next entry in the franchise.
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“She’s absolutely astounding,” Reeves told ExtraTV. “She gets to do some really cool stuff. This another level. She raised the bar.”
Berry plays the mysterious Sofia, an apparent ally to the fleeing John Wick, who’s still on the lamb after a $14 million contract was put on his head at the end of John Wick: Chapter 2. Earlier in the week, EW released a still from the movie featuring Berry and, coincidentally enough, her two pet Belgian Malinois dogs.
“Whereas John’s puppy was symbolic of his wife, Halle’s two dogs are symbolic of someone she’s lost,” director Chad Stahelski told EW. Stahelski also revealed that they built action sequences around the dogs, or as Stahelski put it, Sofia’s “canine assistants…. They work very well tactically.”
Reeves explained that Sofia is a friend from Wick’s past.
“She has a past with John,” Reeves said. “I end up going to find her to see if she can help me.”
While Parabellum is currently the only John Wick film currently announced, both Reeves Stahelski said they’d be willing to do as many films in the franchise as possible.
“I enjoy making these movies because there’s no limit,” says Stahelski. “We create our own mythology, and we have a studio that both stays out of our way and supports us on the wacky decisions. If people go see the movie, and it makes money, and they came back to us, Keanu and I have ideas for days. I could live here for the rest of my career. If people like it and want to watch more, I could think of way worse ways to spend your career. But, you know, we’re in the entertainment business. We’ll let the audience figure that out.”
Along with the return of Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Laurence Fishburne will all reprise their roles from earlier films in the franchise. Parabellum will feature newcomers Anjelica Huston, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Robin Lord Taylor, and Jason Mantzoukas.
John Wick 3: Parabellum speeds into theaters May 17, 2019.
