10 Interesting Behind The Scenes Facts About ‘John Wick’
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The newest chapter in the John Wick franchise hit theaters Friday, March 24 to a record-breaking Thursday night opening. The film has made more on opening weekend than any of the other films in the franchise with over $73 million, and it is currently Lionsgate’s biggest film opening in the pandemic era. This is amazing news, especially knowing that the film has been dedicated to the late Lance Reddick who has acted alongside Keanu Reeves in the films since day one. Let's take a look at some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the franchise!
10. A Familial Connection
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John Wick creator Derek Kolstad revealed that he named John and Helen Wick after his maternal grandparents. His grandfather was delighted and especially loved that his name was used for a hitman!
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9. That Looks Familiar!
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In John Wick: Chapter 2, there is a rooftop garden scene where John meets with Winston. It turns out that the rooftop garden is the same location used for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man film in the scenes where Spider-Man saves Mary Jane from the Green Goblin. The real location is the rooftop garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fun fact: This is the museum that John leaves the rooftop garden to go to.
8. The Role Was Meant For You
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One of the least likable characters in John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum is the Adjudicator. This role was originally written as a bulky male character with no eyebrows. However, after director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves were told about non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillion, they knew that they would be perfect for the role. It turns out that the actor was a huge fan of the franchise and accepted the role without ever seeing the script.
7. Cutting Room Floor
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According to John Wick directors Derek Kolstad and Chad Stahelski, the film was originally 140 minutes long, but they were able to cut it down to 101 minutes. Most of what was cut were Keanu Reeves walking around in “cool environments.” The final battle with Viggo was also cut after they agreed that he would not have been a difficult adversary for Wick, so there was no reason to allow the fight to go on for as long as it originally had.
6. The Original Script
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I can’t imagine anything about John Wick being different, but apparently, the original script looked nothing like the film we have today! The original plan was for the character to be an elderly man in his mid-60s and the film was going to be titled Scorn. Thankfully, the casting department decided to go a different direction and cast Keanu Reeves who then suggested that the title be the character’s name instead.
5. John Wick: Chapter 4 Stunts
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During an interview about the newest film, Keanu Reeves revealed that he did 90% of his own stunts in the film. That included sword fights with Donnie Yen, fist fights, gun fights, and driving at high speed. The actor went through intensive training for the fight scenes and the high-speed chases involved tons of cameras wrapped all around the car. Reeves is not new to doing stunts in the John Wick films, and that is part of what makes the films so great!
4. Stunt Double-Turned Director
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Keanu Reeves has worked with the same stunt double for decades, Chad Stahelski. The two have formed a close friendship over the years, but it wasn’t just a friendship that Stahelski gained over the years but also a new career path. He co-directed the original John Wick film in 2014 and then went on to direct the following three films solo. He is now one of Hollywood’s top action directors, and his keen eye has helped to turn the franchise into one of the most successful and stylish action franchises of all time.
3. High Kill Count
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John Wick is known for his ability to kill anyone with any weapon at his disposal. Fans and characters are reminded of this repeatedly with the pencil story that is retold in each of the films. John Wick: Chapter 2 currently has the character’s most kills with a staggering 128! That is just shy of double the number of kills from the first movie. I will be curious to see if John Wick: Chapter 4 will be able to outdo the kill count in Chapter 2.
2. The Show Must Go On!
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According to the director's commentary on the first John Wick film, Keanu Reeves filmed the nightclub scene with a 104-degree fever! The actor was suffering from the flu but insisted that they carry on with the shoot. On top of his sickness, he also had to memorize the fight choreography for the scene on the day of the shoot.
1. Lance Reddick And Greek Mythology
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In the films, the late Lance Reddick plays Charon, the concierge of the Continental Hotel. His name may refer to the Charon from Greek mythology. According to mythology, the character would grant people safe passage across the River Styx as long as they paid him in gold coins. In the film, Reddick’s character grants people access to the hotel and the safety it promises after they have paid him with a single gold coin.
John Wick: Chapters 1-3 are available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and John Wick: Chapter 4 is in theaters now!
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Source(s): Deadline, ET Online, Los Angeles Times
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