Director Chad Stahelski teases that the assassin-centered franchise will up the ante in terms of action in John Wick: Chapter 4. Beginning in October 2014 with John Wick, the neo-noir thriller series follows a retired hitman who is forced back into his previous line of work when a group of Russian mobsters break into his house, kill the dog that was a gift from his late wife, and steal his car. Wick's retaliation leads to a domino effect that propels him through the bloody events of sequel films John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. John Wick: Chapter 4 will see the assassin take on his biggest challenge yet while being hunted by the powerful criminal underworld known as The High Table as the series dives into lore.
Renowned for its grounded, well-choreographed, and gripping action scenes, the John Wick franchise boasts many memorable moments. On a smaller scale, hand-to-hand combat fights scattered throughout the franchise are a technical marvel that consistently impress and find ways to be creative. And on a larger note, the John Wick films feature plenty of jaw-dropping action scenes complete with show-stopping set pieces, such as the antique knife fight from John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, the subway fight and shootout in John Wick: Chapter 2, and the franchise-making shootout in the Red Circle Club in the original film.
While discussing the high pressure for John Wick's 4th installment to top what came before in an interview with THR, Stahelski dropped some teases regarding the amped-up action in Chapter 4. See what he had to say below:
"Obviously, I could also bitch and moan about the artistry of having to outdo yourself. Our success has lent us the ear of certain execs who trust a little bit more now. So when I say, 'Keanu is going to ride a horse, he’s going to slide cars around the Arc and we’re going to have big waterfall set with dogs biting crotches,' people take me a little bit more seriously and say, 'I don’t understand how he’s going to do it, but that’ll probably look good.' So there’s better trust between us now, and they’re allowing it to happen."
As Stahelski points out, the massive success of a franchise like John Wick is a double-edged sword. While the director mentions being offered more freedom by executives to expand the action scenes in the fourth film, their trust is clearly intimidating as it comes with added pressure for those scenes to pay off. However, with three impressive John Wick films under his belt, Stahelski has proved he is definitely up for the challenge. And though there are often concerns with large franchises about hitting diminishing returns in terms of action and story the longer the series goes on, John Wick: Chapter 3 became the franchise's highest-grossing film in just 10 days and has received massive praise from critics and fans, particularly due to its action sequences. Stahelski's promise to go even further with the action is therefore exciting.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is set for a March 2023 release after a COVID-19 delay. While the franchise's fifth film is already confirmed and was initially slated to be shot back-to-back with the fourth, Stahelski cited the need for a break in between the two projects, which will allow him ample time to figure out how to give audiences an even more thrilling experience with John Wick 5. In the meantime, a spinoff with Ana de Armas is in development as well as a prequel series that will air on Peacock next year. The expanding John Wick universe is good news for action movie fans, especially with Stahelski's expanded creative freedom.
Source: THR
