Keanu Reeves to shoot 'John Wick 2' this autumn

Keanu Reeves will start shooting John Wick 2 this autumn, makers Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures have announced. Original co-directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski are also returning for the sequel to their hit action thriller, which starred Reeves as a former hitman who comes out of retirement after an obnoxious rich kid (Alfie Allen) kills the beagle puppy left to him by his late wife. John Wick's writer Derek Kolstad is also penning the script for the sequel. After being released in the US last October and in the UK this April, John Wick grossed over $78 million (£51 million) at the global box office - an impressive return from its $20 million (£13 million) budget. Read the NME review here. Announcing the sequel in May, Lionsgate's Jason Constantine said in a statement: "With such tremendous fan and critical support for John Wick, we knew that there was still so much more of this story to tell. We are thrilled that Keanu, David and Chad have re-teamed with us and promise to bring audiences even more excitement the second time around." Alongside Reeves and Allen, John Wick also starred Michael Nyqvist, John Leguizamo, Adrianne Palicki and Ian McShane. Further casting for the sequel has yet to be confirmed.