Not all the violence fans see in the John Wick movies is fake, as Keanu Reeves revealed he caused an on-set injury during filming.
John Wick: Chapter 4 has finally hit theaters. The latest entry in the John Wick franchise arguably exceeded all three previous movies in the explosiveness of its action scenes. According to Keanu Reeves, crafting such impressive scenes sometimes involves unintended consequences.
The John Wick films have maintained a reputation as high-octane action movies with intricately choreographed fight scenes that have heightened audiences’ expectations for action movies. This is partly because Chad Stahelski – who has directed all four John Wick movies – is an experienced stuntman. Stahelski has been in the industry for about thirty years now, with his work including movies like Deadpool 2, The Expendables, Constantine, and The Crow – the infamous production that led to the death of Brandon Lee – and all three of the original Matrix movies. Stahelski’s experience as a stuntman and stunt coordinator doesn’t just mean he knows how to craft an effective action set piece – it also means he knows the danger his actors and crew are in and how to mitigate that danger as much as possible.
While the John Wick movies haven’t proven to be lethal, even the most vigilant of crews can only do so much to avert disaster. In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Reeves revealed that he was the cause of one of the few on-set accidents. “So in terms of accidents: I made a mistake once – I cut a gentleman’s head open. So that really f*****g sucked (excuse my language). But other than that – oh, one guy got hit by a car. He was in the car, so he had to go to the hospital, but he was okay.”
While accidents are inevitable, they’re not taken lightly by Stahelski. Earlier this year, the John Wick 4 director discussed his refusal to use real weapons on set. This statement was prompted in response to Alec Baldwin’s case in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. In 2021, Baldwin discharged a revolver meant to be used as a prop on the set of Rust. As a result, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed. On January 31st, 2023, Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Thankfully, the production of John Wick: Chapter 4 was completed without any serious injuries. All the deaths and injuries seen in the trailers have remained fictional – although they will undoubtedly feel real when audiences witness them in theaters.
