Italian
Celebrating a decade of ‘John Wick’: The untold battles behind the scenes
Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the iconic action-filled saga, John Wick. During an insightful interview, they shared fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the challenges they faced to bring this Keanu Reeves-led franchise to life.
A modern myth: Keanu Reeves’ beard battle
When Stahelski and Leitch envisioned John Wick, they aimed to create a modern-day Greek mythology fantasy movie – something far from mainstream. Their vision included a rugged, bearded Keanu Reeves, breaking away from the clean-shaven, boy-next-door image from his iconic roles in Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix.
“Absolutely. We were trying to do a modern-day Greek mythology fantasy movie. That’s not mainstream. So we wanted to do something cool with Keanu,” Stahelski recalled. ”But the money people, they wanted to see Keanu fucking Reeves – ‘Point Break’ Keanu, ‘Speed’ Keanu.”
The financiers vehemently opposed the idea. They believed covering up Reeves’ face with a beard would be a disastrous move for international markets. Leitch shared, “I don’t want to get into it, but since then I have had contentious conversations about stars having facial hair. ‘He needs to be clean-shaven for international!’ That’s the classic studio line.”
Standing ground for a signature look
Despite immense pressure from financiers to conform to their conventional star image, Stahelski, Leitch, and Reeves refused to compromise. The directors wanted audiences to see John Wick as a new character distinct from Reeves’ previous roles.
“We felt you can’t fire us, so the first day of shooting, we had Keanu in the beard. Later that week, when they watched the dailies, with cinematographer Jonathan Sela’s now-famous half-light shots, people fucking loved it,” Stahelski remembered.
The beard ultimately stayed, becoming one of the memorable aspects of John Wick’s look, enhancing the gritty, mythic essence they aspired to achieve.
The controversy behind the dog’s death
Another pivotal moment in the creation of John Wick was the controversial decision to kill John’s dog, which sets off Wick’s furious vendetta and the saga of the action franchise. The team faced substantial pushback on this plot choice.
“We were told, ‘It’s bad luck.’ ‘It’s bad juju.’ ‘It’s ‘Old Yeller,’ you can’t do this!’ ‘No one will want to see this on screen; you’re going to alienate the audience,'” Leitch recounted.
The filmmakers stood firm, emphasizing the emotional depth and rawness this plot brought to the storyline. Their genre expertise assured them that such hard-boiled moments create lasting impressions and elevate genre films.
“I’m like, ‘We’re going to execute people at close range; killing the dog is one thing, but what about the brutal massacre of all these human beings? Are they going to be able to accept that?’ … They didn’t understand that we were making a genre movie. We are genre fans to the core, and we know those hard-boiled moments are what make memorable moments,” Leitch added.
Resolute creativity and unwavering support
During production, there were suggestions for an alternate ending revealing that John’s puppy survives. However, the directors, with Reeves’ staunch support, held their ground.
“For the next couple of weeks, it was suggested that we shoot an alternative ending revealing that the puppy actually isn’t dead. But Keanu stood up for us … eventually, they just felt, ‘Fuck it, let’s see what these guys can do,’” Stahelski shared.
Their resolute creativity and understanding of genre narratives paid off, as John Wick not only resonated with audiences but also solidified its place as a groundbreaking action film with a decade-long influence.
John Wick holds a special place in the history of action cinema, celebrated for its revitalizing story elements and its contribution to redefining action films. For those interested in reliving the saga or looking to understand its expert craft, John Wick is readily available to explore.
Why not share this intriguing backstory of John Wick on your social media? Follow us for more exciting insights and updates on your favorite films and series!
