For Keanu Reeves, the fourth chapter of the John Wick saga is the hardest. The direct sequel to the 2019 film ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ will be the longest film in the series. Until now, the franchise has distinguished itself by creating sophisticated, bloody, and brutal action scenes. Above all, because of the way the murderers relate to each other.
A saga with an elegant and well-constructed perception of the use of large sequences that involve hails of bullets and hand-to-hand combat. Something that, without a doubt, the fourth installment will take to a whole new dimension.
“I played this character with a lot of enthusiasm trying to reach a John Wick level, which is a very high level.”
— Keanu Reeves, Canadian actor
It all started with a dog and, well, it got so messed up that we would need a supercomputer to count all the deaths that John Wick has produced during his little revenge. And while the fourth installment is being released, the fifth is already on the way and things can and should only get better for Keanu Reeves who, let’s not forget, is also increasing in age.
“When I was first offered it, I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ There’s some really incredible action in John Wick and it’s been a lot of fun reprising the role and telling this story. There are new characters and we are opening up his world. There are car accidents and shootings. In terms of action, it’s the toughest I’ve ever done. But that’s what makes it good. Something that includes perfectly choreographed action scenes and car chases of extraordinary technical quality, which have become the hallmarks of the saga,” he stated.
The 58-year-old actor looks and sounds as fresh as ever, calmly listening to each of the questions and answering with as much detail as he can muster. Participating virtually in a group interview, the actor is very attentive trying not to miss a word.
“’John Wick: Chapter 4′ has the most action of all these movies, which is saying a lot. In addition, it opens the possibility of new plot arcs ”, adds Reeves.
But not everything has been easy for the actor and, in fact, he admitted that the film is “the most difficult feature film he has ever made.” Quite a surprise when you consider that Reeves has a long and prolific career in action movies. When talking about the action scenes of “John Wick, Chapter 4” and what were the most difficult aspects of shooting for him, Keanu pauses to reflect for a moment:
“Let’s see, of all the challenges, probably the most difficult was working with wood and chains. I had to learn new skills.”
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ will feature old and new cast members, including Donnie Yen as Caine, Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King, Rina Sawayama as Akira, Ian McShane as Winston, Shamier Anderson as Tracker, Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu, Clancy Brown as The Harbinger, Lance Reddick as Charon, and Scott Adkins as Killa.
“We are at the best time to make action movies, and horror, and Superheroes starring in action scenes with terrifying moments,” said the actor.
Reeves is amused, speaking with the attitude and insight of someone who’s been doing this all his life.
“I have to say that I enjoy pushing my limits and this character is not easy to define. I feel like I’m living a second youth playing this retired elite assassin forced back into action,” Reeves said.
The film is one of the most anticipated in the coming months. In addition, the announcement of several spin-offs and the possibility of the story going deeper make the saga a rarity in the action genre. Much more when it comes to building a specific world that responds to its own rules and limits. Something that ‘John Wick 4’, apparently, will make it more evident and will become an interesting point to understand the story.
“This time, we will see The High Table organization using all its resources. So there are a lot of people chasing John Wick. But it’s actually the usual mechanics. That is the challenge that the team behind the camera took with special rigor,” said the actor.
In addition, he stressed, it will make the story a “frantic adventure through the well-known universe of the hit man.”
Reeves concluded: “I tried and persevered to incorporate new elements. So what I lacked in skill, I certainly made up for in seriousness. I played this character with a lot of enthusiasm trying to reach a John Wick level, which is a very high level.”
March 24th
It is the date on which John Wick: Chapter 4 will be released.
169
Minutes is the length of the movie.