The long hair, the black suit, and the beard are now iconic to John Wick and are inseparable from the film! Nearly, he could have had a different look and even died. “John Wick” is considered by many fans and experts as the best action film of the new millennium. Even the directors feared that the film could flop when it hit theaters in 2014. Also, the lead actor Keanu Reeves (60) was lucky: because he could have looked completely different – and not survived.
Black, casual suit, cool sunglasses, five-o’clock shadow. This is how Keanu Reeves as the title character in “John Wick” gets into his black 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and takes down the thugs who made the mistake of attacking him, killing his little dog, and stealing his car. When “John Wick” hit theaters, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were unknown in the directorial field, and Keanu Reeves’ career was stagnant. This was also partly due to the flop with “Matrix Revolutions” (2003), which many fans had not forgiven him for the “mindless shooting” (“Der Spiegel”).
“John Wick” turned out to be a masterpiece – and is available on Joyn. But the film could have easily gone downhill – in many ways. Directors and lead actors had to fight everywhere and had to overcome the concerns of investors. They initially could not get excited about the cool-casual look of an action hero in a suit. The style of the film’s action art, which combines gun fighting and Asian martial arts, was also controversial. It was only when the film turned out to be a hit that the producers and investors praised what is now considered as “Gun-Fu” and groundbreaking in the action genre.
The biggest problems, as reported by the directors in an interview with “Business Insider,” were with Keanu’s appearance. The beard did not sit well with them – they wanted him clean-shaven. They said, “You can’t cover the face of your hero, the lead actor, with such a beard.” Stahelski recalled in the interview: “They wanted the smooth Keanu, the ‘Speed’ Keanu, the ‘Point Break’ Keanu, the darling.”
Stahelski, Leitch, and Reeves wanted to create a new Keanu. “We saw our film as a new genre, a fantasy film about modern Greek mythology. This is not mainstream. So we didn’t want a mainstream Keanu,” Stahelski reported. There were tough discussions and “we had to hear a lot,” said Leitch. The directors remained steadfast (“We thought they couldn’t fire us”) and shot Keanu with a beard on the first day of filming. Set photos were taken, and when they were released, the fans – and the investors – cheered.
“John Wick” led to three sequels with Keanu Reeves. It was almost impossible because there were considerations to let the hero die at the end. Initially, an open ending was planned: you don’t know if the hero dies or survives. Similar to the Western classic “Shane,” in which Alan Ladd rides into the sunset after a showdown, and it’s unclear if he survives the injury suffered. Then, according to Stahelski, a change of heart occurred.
The directors saw themselves as tough guys, but they didn’t believe in a sequel. Therefore, they considered – multiple – scenarios where John Wick dies in the end. Fortunately for the fans and everyone involved, they were not realized. “As much as we wanted to just kill him, it didn’t feel complete. We didn’t want a happy ending, but we wanted something that shows hope,” Stahelski revealed.
And yet John Wick almost “died” because the producers ran out of money shortly before filming ended. Stahelski said, “We were missing six million.” The two directors, the producer, even Keanu Reeves, contributed their own money. Stahelski said, “We stripped down. And still, something was missing.” That’s when producer Basil Iwanyk called an acquaintance and got the money. Everyone was relieved. But it was only after the producer, along with his lead actor and directors, went for a closing dinner after filming, that he revealed who had saved their film: actress Eva Longoria (49). Later, she revealed, “I did it for Basil Iwanyk and on a whim. I didn’t seriously think it would work.” It did, and it was worth it. Longoria said, “It was the best gut decision of my life.”
