Although last December Keanu Reeves tried Neo for Matrix ResurrectionsToday, the actor is mainly engaged on the action front in the role of John Wick. Reeves made his debut in 2014 as an ex-hitman returning to the underworld after his dog’s death, and next year will mark his fourth appearance in the action-packed film series. However, prior to Reeves’ arrival, it was thought that John Wick would look very different based on his age.
How Keanu Reeves got aboard John Wick is explored in a new book They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: John Wick’s Complete Uncensored Oral Story, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. In an excerpt shared by uhBasil Iwanyk, one of the producers of the John Wick franchise, recalled the much older original portrait of John Wick with these words:
One of my best friends is Charlie Ferraro of UTA, who sent me this script by Derek Kolstad called Scorn. The protagonist was a seventy-five-year-old man, twenty-five years after his retirement. It was fun to watch Clint Eastwood kick ass. I thought, okay, there’s probably a name or two you could do this with: Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford. Other than that, I don’t know how I edited this film. But the tone of John Wick’s script was subversive and very funny. It has a very clear emotional line and a great premise for an action movie.
There was a lot of noise around Contempt at that time, resulting in a bidding war that ended in what is now known as the john wick acquired by Lionsgate. Keanu Reeves, who at that time had appeared in films such as tai chi man Yes 47 Ronin, got the script from Derek Kolstad via his agent, Jimmy Darmody, although Kolstad made it clear at first that Reeves was obviously not close to the age he created John Wick. Eventually, Reeves decided he wanted to participate. john wick, but I wouldn’t play the character as if he’s been alive for three quarters of a century. As Kolstad recalls:
We had talked about internal actors, but it was Keanu Reeves, a voracious reader of screenplays; all that he has in his hands he reads, he who put his claws on it and made it with him. I spent two months at Keanu on weekends working on the script. When I first met him and walked into his house, and when he came around the corner to say hello, it’s a nice house, it’s not flashy for a guy who is worth, I don’t know, billions and I look into his office , I see you have three hundred scripts stacked on your desk, because you read everything that UTA, WME, William Morris sends. He reads them all. And he thinks he read something on Friday, in ninety minutes, and said, “I want to do it.” At that point, before I met him and actually clicked on him, I thought, “Yeah, I really want to do that too.” The first thing Keanu said to me was, “Okay, Derek, I’ll play him 35”. And I’m like, ‘Well’.
The prospect of having an actor like Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford in the role of John Wick is a fun guess to imagine, but it’s safe to say that choosing Keanu Reeves for the role and reducing the character’s retirement from 25 to five years was the right decision. The film not only received a positive critical reception, it also grossed $ 86 million worldwide on a budget of between $ 20 million and $ 30 million. This performance was enough to give the green light John Wick: Chapter 2, paving the way for what is now a popular franchise. Furthermore John Wick: Chapter 4arriving March 24, 2023 e John Wick: Chapter 5 being in the works comes the one directed by Ana de Armas Dancer Called the Starz spin-off and prequel event series the continent.
Waiting for news on what to expect John Wick: Chapter 4including the ideas Keanu Reeves brought to the table (High), check out our 2023 release schedule to find out what other movies are coming next year.
Source: Cinemablend
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
