John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum


John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a 2019 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams, based on a story by Kolstad. The film is the direct sequel to John Wick: Chapter 2 and the third installment in the John Wick film series. It stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane. The film takes place immediately after Chapter 2 and centers on John Wick going on the run from a legion of hitmen after a bounty is placed for his murder.
In October 2016, Stahelski stated a third John Wick film was in the works; this was formally announced in June 2017, after the returns of Reeves and Kolstad were confirmed, followed by Stahelski's return in January 2018. Much of the returning cast and crew was confirmed that following month, with new members joining that May. Principal photography began that month and lasted through that November, with filming locations including New York City and Casablanca.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum had its premiere at the Regal Union Square in New York City on May 9, 2019, and was released in the United States on May 17, by Lionsgate. It received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise for the action sequences, visual style, and Reeves's performance. The film grossed $327.7 million worldwide and took just 10 days to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise. A sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4, was released in March 2023, and a spin-off film, Ballerina, was released in June 2025.

Plot

is on the run in Manhattan after he was labeled "excommunicado" for the killing of High Table crime lord Santino D'Antonio on Continental grounds. At the New York Public Library, John retrieves a marker medallion and a rosary. He is injured in a fight with another hitman, Ernest, and seeks medical treatment from an underworld doctor. His excommunicado status activates before the doctor can finish, forcing John to complete the suturing himself. Upon leaving, he is quickly pursued by various gangs of assassins, all of whom he kills.
John meets with The Director, the head of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate, to whom he presents a rosary and demands safe passage to Casablanca. As John was once a member, the Director reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, a High Table Adjudicator meets with New York Continental manager Winston Scott and the Bowery King, notifying them that they both have seven days to resign from their positions as a consequence of helping John. The Adjudicator enlists Zero, a Japanese assassin, and orders him to stab the Director through both of her hands as penance for aiding John. In Casablanca, John meets Sofia Al-Azwar, his former friend who is now the manager of the Moroccan Continental.
John presents the marker, which binds Sofia to repay a debt to John. John demands to be directed to the Elder, the only person above the High Table, who alone can rescind John's excommunicado status. Sofia begrudgingly takes John to Berrada, her former boss, who tells John he may find the Elder only by wandering through the desert until he can no longer walk. When Sofia refuses to give Berrada one of her trained Belgian Malinois in return for his help, he shoots the dog, but hits its bulletproof vest. Even though John prevents Sofia from killing Berrada, they fight their way out of the kasbah and drive into the desert, where she leaves John.
Seven days later, the Adjudicator and Zero confront the Bowery King, who refuses to abdicate his position. In response, Zero's students slaughter the Bowery King's men while Zero slashes the Bowery King seven times with a wakizashi. Meanwhile, John collapses in the desert and is brought to the Elder.
John states that he wants to live to keep the memory of the love he once had with his late wife. The Elder agrees to forgive John under the condition of killing Winston and subservience to the High Table for the remainder of his life. To show his fealty, John severs his ring finger and gives his wedding ring to The Elder.
Upon returning to New York, John is attacked by Zero and his students before reaching the protection of the Continental. The Adjudicator arrives, but Winston refuses to abdicate, and John refuses to kill him, leading the Adjudicator to revoke the Continental's neutral status and send both Zero and an army of heavily armed High Table enforcers to kill John and Winston. Winston provides John with weapons and the assistance of concierge Charon and his staff. After killing all the enforcers, Zero and his students ambush John; John proceeds to kill all but two. Zero battles John, but is eventually defeated and left to die. On the roof of the Continental, the Adjudicator agrees to a parley with Winston, who offers allegiance to the High Table.
John arrives; Winston shoots him, and he falls to the street below. Winston reassumes his position, and the severely injured John is secretly delivered to the Bowery King in an underground bunker; the two agree to join forces against the High Table.

Cast

  • Keanu Reeves as John Wick, a former assassin on the run from the High Table
  • Halle Berry as Sofia Al-Azwar, an ex-assassin, a former friend of John, and the manager of the Continental Hotel in Casablanca
  • Laurence Fishburne as "The Bowery King", the head of the Soup Kitchen intelligence network in New York City
  • Mark Dacascos as Zero, an assassin employed by the Adjudicator to eliminate John
  • Asia Kate Dillon as "The Adjudicator", an agent of the High Table sent to punish John and those who assist him
  • Lance Reddick as Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York.
  • Anjelica Huston as "The Director", the leader of the Ruska Roma
  • Ian McShane as Winston Scott, the enigmatic manager of the New York Continental and friend of John
  • Tobias Segal as Earl
  • Saïd Taghmaoui as "The Elder"
  • Jerome Flynn as Berrada
  • Randall Duk Kim as "The Doctor"
  • Margaret Daly as Operator
  • Robin Lord Taylor as "Administrator"
  • Susan Blommaert as "Librarian"
  • Jason Mantzoukas as "Tick Tock Man", one of the Bowery King's men
  • Cecep Arif Rahman as Shinobi #1, one of Zero's pupils
  • Yayan Ruhian as Shinobi #2, another of Zero's pupils
  • Unity Phelan as Rooney, a ballerina training to become an assassin in the Ruska Roma
  • Roger Yuan as Huang, a Triad gang assassin
  • Tiger Chen as Triad
  • Boban Marjanović as Ernest
  • Aïssam Bouali as Yassin, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in Casablanca

    Production

In October 2016, Chad Stahelski, who made his directorial debut with John Wick and served as Reeves' Matrix stunt double, stated that a third film in the John Wick series was in the works, and in June 2017, it was reported that Derek Kolstad, who wrote the two prior films, would return to write the screenplay. In January 2018, it was reported that Stahelski would return to direct.
According to Reeves, the film's title was taken from the famous 4th-century Roman military quote "Si vis pacem, para bellum", which means, "If you want peace, prepare for war." In an interview with the New York Times, McShane said that the film would be big and good and that nothing is the same while also hinting that part of the action could be the High Table's payback not only on Wick but also on his close friend Winston.

Casting

In January 2018, it was reported that Hiroyuki Sanada was in talks to join the cast. Sanada was originally going to be Zero, but suffered a torn Achilles tendon, and the role was given to Mark Dacascos. Later, it was revealed that Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Lance Reddick would reprise their roles from previous John Wick films. In May 2018, Halle Berry, Anjelica Huston, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos, Jason Mantzoukas, Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, and Tiger Chen joined the cast. In November 2018, Said Taghmaoui confirmed his involvement in the film.

Filming

Principal photography began May 5, 2018, in New York City, along with additional filming locations in Casablanca. Principal photography lasted until November 17, 2018. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen was asked about how challenging it was to use as many extended fight scene takes as possible while filming the high action screenplay. He stated, "Of course it is , because all the fights—Chad is doing most of the fights himself. We play that as wide as we can. Because that way we see it's him. We do that a lot, we try to play it as wide as we can and do long shots. Of course, because Chad has a background from the stunt world he knows exactly how to block this kind of stuff. I'm not the best stunt person in the world, but I'm learning." In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Halle Berry said that she "broke three ribs in rehearsal."
The action scene with a hitman named Ernest, played by NBA basketball player Boban Marjanović, was inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death, where Lee fights NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Unlike most of the other stunt scenes, Ernest has a few lines bantering with John Wick, but he still loses.

Special effects

The visual effects are provided by Method Studios, Image Engine, and Soho VFX.

Music

and Joel J. Richard return to score the film. The soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande.
The theme song for the film is "Bullet Holes" by English rock band Bush. While Tyler Bates was writing music with the band, he decided that the song would be perfect for the film, and sent it to Chad Stahelski. Also featured is the song "Ninja Re Bang Bang" by Japanese artist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

Marketing

The studio spent an estimated $48 million on prints and advertisements promoting the film.