Warning: This publish comprises vague-ish spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4, now in theaters.
Very similar to the unique The Quick and the Livid, the first John Wick was a comparatively easy affair: It was a few hitman who comes out of retirement as a result of somebody killed his pet. He didn’t even depart the New York Metropolis space. By Chapter 2, the world constructing acquired such that our ever-vengeful hero was a globe-trotting man of the world, even making an attempt out totally different genres star Keanu Reeves and collection director Chad Stahelski adore. Certainly, it was their love of all of the totally different flavors of motion cinema that impressed Chapter 4’s somber/downer conclusion.
In a new interview with Vulture, Stahelski displays on how they got here up with the “samurai factor” that concludes the fourth — and possibly at this level not closing — installment.
“Keanu and I had been sitting round many months after we accomplished John Wick 3 in Tokyo on the Imperial Lodge on the Scotch bar doing a bit of press, and we’re like, ‘Yeah, wouldn’t it’s enjoyable if John Wick was in Japan? Yeah, I don’t know if we may construct a film round it, however that’d be enjoyable,’” he recalled. “As a result of, we by no means did nunchucks. We by no means did Enter the Dragon. I’m an enormous Sergio Leone fan. I by no means acquired to do the Spaghetti western–model showdown that I needed to do.”
At this level, one thing clicked in Reeves’ Japanese scotch-inspired thoughts. “Then Keanu simply appears at me and goes, ‘John Wick must die,’” Stahelski recalled. “I’m like, ‘What do you imply?’ He says, ‘Nicely, let’s do the samurai factor.’”
What’s “the samurai factor”? It comes from a canonical e book entitled the Hagakura, a sensible and non secular information for a warrior relationship again to 18th century Japan. Stahelski mentioned that among the many commentaries contained inside are notes on “the best way of dying, the artwork of dying.” He added, “You’ll be able to solely have a great demise when you’ve had a great life. We began happening this street of Bushido samurai and anti-samurai mentality. And the way does this philosophy tie into all the flicks? How’s he going to get out of this?”
And in order that’s how John Wick achieved a great demise — or did he? Reeves and Stahelski could have deliberate Chapter 4 to be their fond farewell to their beloved character, however sadly, it made a lot cash that Lionsgate brass are already demanding more. Maybe John Wick must discover a second peaceable demise.
(Through Vulture)
