If there’s one way to describe the John Wick franchise, it’s as a series of increasingly brutal events. A journey that began with the death of a man’s dog has resulted in the demise of countless assassins, security guards, and left the main character on Death’s door. Last we saw Keanu Reeves‘ vengeful hitman, he was clinging to life in the secret underground bunker of Laurence Fishburne‘s equally damaged Bowery King. It doesn’t seem possible that the next film, titled simply John Wick: Chapter 4, could figure out how to make things any worse for Wick, but series director Chad Stahelski is going to do his best to make it happen.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the former stuntman and current filmmaker explained that the goal of every John Wick entry is to make the character suffer. Without that as a starting point, there is nothing else. He elaborated:
We keep finding new and interesting ways to have John Wick suffer. That’s where the action comes from. Figure out how to make him suffer, and then design backward.
Chad Stahelski
Reeves, who has done many of his own stunts during filming, added that he often helps in coming up with ideas on how to make his own life harder:
I’ve called out a couple of things, like, let’s get on a horse in the desert. Let’s drive a little bit.
Keanu Reeves
The film’s trailer played at CinemaCon, and featured a series of explosive action sequences and voice overs that indicated this could be the last installment in the franchise. When pressed to reveal if this was the case, Stahelski and Reeves both admitted that they haven’t thought past Chapter 4 just yet. “We just attack one at a time,” explained the former Matrix star. His fearless leader said further:
We do it chapter by chapter. Just like an author; write the chapter, scratch head, write next chapter.
Chad Stahelski
John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled to hit theaters on March 24, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
