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Has it actually been 10 years since “John Wick” debuted in theaters? Time flies once you’re having enjoyable righteously knocking off a daft variety of unhealthy guys for killing your pet. Apart from the sheer leisure worth of the franchise, we will additionally thank the staff of screenwriter Derek Kolstad and the director tandem of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch for upping the Hollywood sport in relation to stunt-heavy motion set items. These gents are consummate craftsmen who know motion films work finest once they’re staged and shot as virtually as potential, in order that they gleefully (but rigorously) put their stunt crew by way of their paces for our enhanced enjoyment.
Sure, the “John Wick” franchise is gun fetishism at its most knuckleheaded, however the bone-crunching, bullet-whizzing kineticism trumps my ethical objections each time. I do not know what that claims about me personally, however, darn it, these films are simply flat-out irresistible (clearly, on condition that they’ve revamped $1 billion on the international field workplace).
Whereas there’d be no “John Wick” with out the aforementioned trio, the sequence seemingly would not have turn into the high-octane field workplace sensation that it’s right now with out Keanu Reeves. The star’s knowledgeable facility for plausible hand-to-hand fight and firearm discharging offers these films a high-octane thrill you would not get with a star who farms out most of his brawling to his stuntman. This being mentioned, it is honest to marvel how these films would possibly’ve performed had the primary “John Wick” gone ahead with one of many largest motion stars on the planet within the title function.
From John McClane to John Wick?
In a tenth anniversary chat with The Hollywood Reporter, David Leitch revealed that when he was first approached to do second unit work on the movie, none aside from Bruce Willis “would possibly’ve been hooked up on the time.” It is noteworthy that the Thunder Street manufacturing staff of Basil Iwanyk and Peter Lawson have been contemplating a then fifty-something Willis as an alternative of the nine-years-younger Reeves.
What would which have seemed like? Once more, it might’ve been rather less fluid visually what with the entire doubling for Willis – who was bodily sport in 2012’s “Looper,” however not able to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the 87Eleven stunt staff. It will’ve been a really totally different movie, one which Stahelski and Leitch seemingly would’ve by no means made.
In line with Leitch, Reeves was the right match for the duo, who have been able to step ahead from second-unit directing to make their very own film. Due to the insistence of their supervisor Kelly McCormick (who’s now Leitch’s producing associate and spouse), they acquired their shot and made essentially the most of it. The subsequent chapter within the “John Wick” sequence, “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” (starring Ana de Armas), hits theaters June 6, 2025.