“Only Four People Die”: John Wick Director Recalls “Very Grounded” Original Script

John Wick co-director Chad Stahelski reveals that the original script for the film was “very grounded” and featured a low kill count. Released in 2014, the first installment in the successful John Wick franchise introduces Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin, following the character as he seeks revenge for the murder of his dog. The film, which would spawn three hit sequels, features stylized action and what is known as “gun-fu,” with Wick ultimately killing 77 people in the first movie alone.

During a recent interview with Business Insider in celebration of John Wick‘s 10th anniversary, Stahelski, who co-directed the film alongside David Leitch, recalls how he initially became involved in the project. The director reveals that Reeves, for whom he had served as a stunt double on The Matrix, brought the Derek Kolstad script to him, but the project was very different from what eventually ended up on-screen.

According to Stahelski, the original script featured a relatively low body count of only four, and that Wick himself started out as a veteran of the Cold War. Reeves ultimately brought Stahelski and Leitch on board as co-directors, and the film then morphed into something more stylized. Check out Stahelski’s comment below:

I hadn’t talked to Keanu in a few months and then got a call from him. He said, “I came across this script, it’s not quite there yet, but I’d love for you to take a read. It’s something I’m thinking about doing.” So he sends it over. I read it. It was originally called “Scorn,” but the script I got was after Keanu did one pass on it.

It was a very short script. It was only 65-75 pages. I think at that point only four people die in the whole story. It did have the dog. It had a version of The Continental. But Derek Kolstad, who wrote it, gave it a feel of the Cold War. The guy was a retired vet from the Cold War. It was very, very grounded. Very serious.

What John Wick’s Stylized Approach Meant For The Franchise

The John Wick Franchise’s Gun-Fu Explained

While a more grounded and gritty approach could certainly have worked as more of a thriller than an action movie, there’s no denying that John Wick‘s stylized approach is part of why the franchise has been so successful. All four films have earned positive reviews and been box office successes, with John Wick: Chapter 4 proving the biggest hit of the bunch. The film features the biggest and boldest action sequences of the franchise, earning it a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a worldwide box office gross of $440 million.

With a lower body count and a more serious tone, the first John Wick likely would not have featured any gun-fu, a term used to describe the incorporation of firearms into close-quarters, martial arts fighting. This style of action would not only come to define the next four movies, but the entire action genre. John Wick is heavily inspired by Asian action cinema, and the film kicked off a broader move in Hollywood away from shaky cam and quick editing that was popular during the early and mid-2000s.

Our Take On A More Grounded John Wick

The Franchise Succeeds Because Of Its Heightened Reality

None of the John Wick movies are meant to be taken particularly seriously. Wick’s kill count across all four movies is a whopping 439, and there are times that the assassin world presented in the films is so far-reaching that it often seems as if a random civilian is more likely to be an assassin than not. Though ridiculous, the films are incredibly entertaining, and each new entry raised the bar for the depiction of action in Hollywood movies.

Though there’s nothing inherently wrong with the idea of a more grounded John Wick movie, such an approach would rob audiences of Stahelski and Leitch’s unique approach to capturing action, and the entire genre would arguably be worse off had the two filmmakers not bet on themselves creatively. Stahelski’s latest comment speaks to just how much movies can change during the development process, and, clearly, audiences almost ended up with a very different John Wick.

Source: Business Insider

John Wick is the first entry in the action-thriller franchise directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves. Retired hitman John is brought back into the field when the dog his recently deceased life left him is murdered. Full of rage and equipped with unparalleled combat skills, John begins to track down the ones responsible for the act of violence and lays waste to any who dare to cross his path, sending panic throughout the criminal underworld.

Director

David Leitch , Chad Stahelski

Release Date

October 24, 2014

Studio(s)

Thunder Road Pictures , 87Eleven Productions

Distributor(s)

Summit Entertainment

Writers

Derek Kolstad

Runtime

101 Minutes

Budget

$20-30 Million

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