John Wick: Chapter 2 (also known as simply John Wick 2 ) is a 2017 American neo-noir action-thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad . It is the second installment in the John Wick film series , and the sequel to the 2014 film John Wick . It stars Keanu Reeves , Common , Laurence Fishburne , Riccardo Scamarcio , Ruby Rose , John Leguizamo , and Ian McShane . The plot follows hitman John Wick (Reeves), who goes on the run after a bounty is placed on him. Principal photography began on October 26, 2015, in New York City . The film premiered in Los Angeles on January 30, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on February 10, 2017. It was acclaimed by critics, with praise for the action sequences, direction, editing, visual style and the performances of the cast, particularly Reeves. The film gro...