LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Assassin John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, is as deadly as the Russian boogeyman "Baba Yaga," who was engaged by the Russian mafia. These movies explore the shadowy world of assassins while building a huge franchise and earning more than $580 million so far. The first 'John Wick' movie nearly never happened, and Keanu Reeves seldom got the part of the now-iconic figure.
The 'John Wick' film starring Keanu almost didn't happen, said director Chad Stahelski. Keanu's recent comeback owing to the 'John Wick' series has elevated him to the status of one of cinema's most adored actors. Along with reprising some of his most recognizable characters, such as Ted Logan in 'Bill & Ted Face the Music', Keanu had a key role in reviving the R-rated action movie genre, per Screen Rant.
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Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford were initially preferred
For those who haven't watched the original 'John Wick', it portrays Keanu's character after burglars break into his house, kills his dog, the last gift from his late wife, and steal his vintage car. It turns out that Wick is a renowned assassin who has been compared to the Russian folkloric monster known as "Baba Yaga."
Initially, the character 'John Wick' was intended to be much older. Older performers like Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood were considered at first by the studio when casting the role of the iconic assassin. The series' creators believed that the protagonist needed to be a deadly assassin who was also in a profound state of retirement. Fortunately, the film was able to be produced, and Keanu was cast in the lead.
'John Wick' wasn't a 'date movie'
Stahelski, a former stuntman turned filmmaker, participated in the Collider Directors on Directing panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022. Stahelski described the proposal for the action movie that eventually became his directorial debut, which originally featured a 75-year-old guy before Reeves signed on. Stahelski's concept for 'John Wick' was first turned down by the studio because it wasn't a "date movie."
The writers of the assassin-focused movie nearly failed to get the script past the studio executives very early in the writing process. While not every movie about a man's closest friend dying is a "date movie," the 'John Wick' franchise has established its own subgenre of extravagant action movies.
Keanu Reeves changed the script
Reportedly, the scripts were revised and reread by Keanu over the course of two months, making them ideal for him to play the lead. He informed the production company that he would be appearing in the movie, but John would be 35 rather than the 75 they had originally envisioned. Fans of Reeves are happy he battled so hard to get the role since it now feels impossible to separate him from the 'John Wick' series.