20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About John Wick
The world of the Continental has so much to offer beyond stylish gunplay and deadly assassins.
Before 2014, few people had high hopes for John Wick. At the time, Keanu Reeves' career was not exactly lighting Hollywood on fire and the directing duo of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch was largely untested as far as helming an entire film was concerned. Fortunately for moviegoers and the action genre, all concerns were decidedly done away with and a new franchise was born.
Sleek, stylish and viciously efficient, John Wick was the shot in the arm the action genre needed. Its action was both vicious and legible, the emotional hook was easy to get behind and most importantly, the worldbuilding was some of the best in the entire genre.
Just like any other complex filmmaking journey, John Wick has a sizable amount of trivia that not every fan of the franchise will be aware of.
The process behind the feature's realisation is just as interesting as the gunplay on screen, and has several interesting insights that might have been missed by even its most ardent fans.
20. The Nightclub Action Setpiece Was A Last Minute And Daunting Affair
One of the main reasons behind Keanu Reeves' endearing nature is his dedication to nearly every role he takes on. Regardless of the movie or role's quality, the actor will immerse himself wholeheartedly into the proceedings.
One of the most impressive instances of this commitment to his craft was seen during one of John Wick's most memorable action setpieces. The Red Circle Club shootout sequence is a standout in the genre, and its complexity makes it all the more shocking that the Matrix actor learned and performed all the action beats on the day of filming.
This was confirmed as such by director Chad Stahelski on the film's DVD commentary (via Slash Film). The filmmaker also pointed out that Reeves took on the challenging task while suffering from a fever, which further lends credence to the claims of the actor's diligence in his work.