Ultimate Killing Machine “JOHN WICK” Back For Vengeance
Known as the legendary killing
machine in a hyper-real, super-secret criminal community, “John Wick” (played
by Keanu Reeves), walks its dark halls once again after retiring from the
ruthless world he used to live to avenge the death of his wife. After the sudden death of his beloved wife,
John Wick (Reeves) receives one last gift from her, a beagle puppy named Daisy,
and a note imploring him not to forget how to love. But John’s mourning is
interrupted when his 1969 Boss Mustang catches the eye of sadistic thug Iosef
Tarasov (Alfie Allen). When John refuses to sell the car, Iosef and his
henchmen break into his house and steal it, beating John unconscious and
leaving Daisy dead. Unwittingly, they have just reawakened one of the most
brutal assassins the underworld has ever seen.
“The character is extremely
hard-edged,” says director Stahelski. “Rather than presenting him as a
stereotypical badass assassin on a rampage, we wanted to emphasize that he’s a
man who has suffered loss after loss. Keanu brings an emotional side to every
role he plays. He’s never hard as nails. As John, he goes through a full range
of emotions: depression, anger, sorrow and hope and, ultimately, when he goes
into rampage mode, he still communicates his humanity.”
After a prolonged absence from
Hollywood, Reeves’ return in John Wick marks an exciting emotional transition
for the actor that the filmmakers underscore with signature visual elements.
“We gave Keanu longer hair, a beard, a suit,” says producer David Leitch. “He
is not the Keanu of The Matrix, he is the Keanu of John Wick.
With everything he cares about gone,
John reverts to his earlier self. In the workroom where he used to restore
classic books, John unearths his abandoned treasure chest, a trove of weaponry,
gold coins and an iconic suit. “In a way it’s almost like the costume and tools
of his trade that he’s hidden,” says Reeves. “He thought it was something he
would never go back to. But he kept it, didn’t he?
“John thought he was stronger
than he is, when really he’d been drawing that strength from his wife, Helen,”
continues Reeves. “He thought he was in control, but the switch flips and
there’s no turning back. I always thought of it as being a kind of Old
Testament revenge story. When someone takes the things he cherishes, violence
erupts and John can’t temper it.”
Stahelski and Leitch took an active
role in developing a hybrid fighting style for Reeves’ character that involves
martial arts and gun work, working with 87eleven’s top stunt coordinators.
“It’s something we don’t think people have seen before,” says Iwanyk. “We like
to call it ‘gun fu’.”
As skilled as Reeves is, the
training for John Wick was among the most intensive Stahelski and Leitch have
ever implemented. “On a movie this size and shot in this way, we had to be able
to change things as we went along,” explains Stahelski. “It was essential for
him to be proficient in a variety of techniques. He spent four solid months
getting in shape, learning judo and jiujitsu. We wanted to use practical
grappling martial arts and mix in guns, so we created a new style of
close-quarter combat.”
Playing an assassin opened up an
enormous toolbox for Reeves to reach into. “In terms of weapons, I had the
chance to work with tactical pistols and long guns,” the actor says. “The
action sequences are really ambitious. Chad created longer, mise-en-scène scenarios
instead of using just quick cuts, which I was really excited about. The
choreography became very complicated. It’s bang, bang, bang and then throw
someone, stab them—all sorts of fun stuff. I also did some stunt driving with
the wonderful and amazing Jeremy Fry. I got to slide a car around and do some
drifting.”
The training took place in
87Eleven’s dedicated training facility. “There are weights, wires, weapons,
green screens and trampolines for training,” Reeves says. “It’s a dojo of
action design.”
The actor’s commitment to training
was awe-inspiring, says Iwanyk. “Without question he was more committed to
physical training for the movie than any actor on any movie I’ve ever worked
on,” the producer adds. “He started months before shooting began, five days a
week, eight hours a day. He carved out his entire summer to become John Wick.”
“John
Wick” opens October 29 in cinemas nationwide (from Pioneer Films).
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