T here's a saying on the set of the John Wick films, one that's uttered when the punishing demands of a series lauded for its best-in-league action needs to be acknowledged by all present: Wick is pain. It's an expression that comes from a place of affection, and is used for two reasons: “Because Chad [Stahelski], the director, likes to torture John Wick,” chuckles the man typically on the receiving end of said torment, and the phone today, Keanu Reeves. And, secondly, to make it clear to anyone entering the world of Wick that, when it comes to what you see on screen in these films, there are no shortcuts. “A lot of people say they want to do John Wick action,” Reeves notes in that instantly recognisable drawl. “And then when they get there, they're like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is something else.'”
For John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest instalment in the puppy-avenging punchathon which started from relatively humble beginnings in 2014 and is soon to spawn its own expanded universe (more on that later), Reeves trained intensively for the best part of a year, adding the bow and arrow and nunchucks to an already loaded repertoire of lethal weapons (guns, knives, pencils…). Taking his movie martial arts to the “next level” with judo and ju-jitsu practitioner Dave Camarillo, Reeves also boosted his driving skills for a full-throttle setpiece that takes place in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe. “John Wick: Chapter 4 has the most action of any of the [John Wick] films, which is saying a lot,” Reeves exclaims. “And it's more by a good margin. It's a big show!”
When catches up with Reeves and Stahelski in early January there's a week left until work is completed on . It's the culmination of a bruising threeyear production - the longest period of time the pair have movie. Contrary to expectations given the series’ everdeepening mythology, there is no long-term plan, according to Stahelski; no prescriptive multi-movie arc that the team is pursuing with these films. In fact, “after number three, Keanu and I were both fairly done,” the director admits. “We kind of wanted to just end on a cliffhanger.”
