[Editor’s Note: The following story contains major spoilers for “John Wick: Chapter 4.”]
John Wick is lifeless, proper?
“John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski spoke to Empire journal in regards to the ending initially shot for the film, which indicated to audiences that John Wick was very a lot nonetheless alive. Within the remaining theatrical model, John Wick seems to die on the steps of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur whereas ruminating on his household. Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne’s characters are then seen trying over his grave — implying Reeves’ character has died with out ever explicitly displaying so.
“We had a different ending,” Stahelski stated. “[The theatrical ending] was the ending Keanu and I wished, however we shot a special ending. We shot an ending the place you really noticed John Wick on the finish of the film. So it was very clear that he was nonetheless alive. The audiences we examined with completely most popular the ambiguous ending.”
Stahelski continued, “We didn’t really feel like we had executed our greatest [with ‘Parabellum’]. We each felt like we might have ended the collection higher. We didn’t really feel like we caught the touchdown, and that’s a shitty feeling. As a result of we love the character, we love working collectively, we love the world.”
Stahelski stated the ending was born partly out of the reception for “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.”
“I stated, ‘I’d be pissed if that’s how they ended the entire collection. I’d be pissed on the director,’” Stahelski recalled following the third film. “And I had simply learn this treatise on samurai etiquette referred to as ‘Hagakure,’ the artwork of the way in which of dying. And we’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s received to die. And we received to provide you with the best solution to make[that] occur. We’ve received to make all of it about, “You’ll be able to solely had a superb demise if you happen to had a superb life.”‘ That’s the primary line we wrote on a serviette in Japan, three years out. We wrote the film backwards off that one factor.”
The “John Wick” franchise continues with spinoffs like prequel series “The Continental” and a rumored follow-up film specializing in aspect characters.
Producer Basil Iwanyck told IndieWire’s Eric Kohn that “Chapter 4” purposefully has an “ambiguous ending” that leaves it open if Reeves have been to return. “I’ll put it that approach: We don’t have this reply,” he stated. “There are two characters, actually. There’s John Wick, and John, the civilian. The query for all of us is, OK, if the viewers embraces the story and the field workplace works, is there one other story to be informed? I don’t know. However I don’t assume we’ve boxed ourselves into any nook, whether or not he’s lifeless or alive, on the finish of this film.”
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