Keanu Reeves Says ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Is the Hardest Thing He’s Ever Done’
Keanu Reeves has embodied the character of hitman John Wick in three movies over nearly a decade. The franchise’s first film, John Wick, immediately garnered acclaim upon its 2014 release. Fans demanded more, and the next few years saw the release of two more movies. Now, with John Wick: Chapter 4 set to release on March 24, fans eagerly await the thrills in store for them. In a recent interview, Reeves revealed that making John Wick: Chapter 4 was the “hardest thing” he has ever done, acknowledging the challenge it presented.
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ promises a lot of action
Reeves last played the character of John Wick four years ago, in 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The film’s release was originally scheduled for 2021. However, several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed the fourth installment of the action series.
The newest film follows John Wick as he sets out to defeat the High Table. Unfortunately, he discovers that some of his longtime allies have now become enemies. In addition to Reeves as Wick, John Wick: Chapter 4 features new and returning actors including Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, and Natalie Tena.
What did Keanu Reeves say about how difficult ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ was to film?
Reeves trained hard to get into fighting form as the deadly assassin. In an interview with Fandango, the actor said making John Wick: Chapter 4 was the toughest job he’s ever tackled. “The opportunities I had in the film to try and do all the action…to bring that to the audience…that’s the gift,” Reeves said. He also noted that the extensive training and coordinated stunts made the film the “hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
In another interview with Total Film, Reeves explained that “‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ was the hardest physical role I’ve ever had in my career so far. They really trained me up to be able to have what we call the toolbox.” As reported by HuffPost, Reeves said that driving the stunt cars was probably the most challenging part of his extensive training regimen. “We took the car-driving to the next level, which I really enjoy,” he said. “There’s 180s, forward-into-reverse 180s, reverse-into-forward 270s, drifting … so it was really fun to get a chance to learn those skills, and to play.”
Will there be a fifth ‘John Wick’ film?
Fans can’t get enough of the John Wick franchise. Many have already started to ask about a fifth installment, even though John Wick: Chapter 4 hasn’t been released to theaters yet. Right now, there’s nothing concrete on a fifth movie. However, in a recent interview, Reeves revealed that it will all depend on how well the fourth film does with audiences. “You have to see how the audience responds to what we did,” Reeves said, according to Screen Rant. “The only reason we’ve had a chance to make these movies is that people have liked what we have done. So I think we have to wait and see how the audience responds to it. Hopefully, they’ll like it.”
With as popular as the first three films have been, it seems safe to say that fans will turn out in droves to see John Wick: Chapter 4. If that does prove to be the case, the franchise will probably keep rolling.