John Wick: Chapter 4 star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski address whether the titular movie series owes a debt to The Matrix franchise.
From underground hacker to menacing assassin, Keanu Reeves’ features in The Matrix and John Wick franchises keep drawing comparisons and, ahead of the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, Reeves and director Chad Stahelski don’t deny the links between the movie series.
Reeves and Stahelski spoke in an interview with Wired about comparing The Matrix and John Wick, addressing whether the latter owes a debt to the science fiction movie series for its existence. Reeves was coy with his response, saying “If we’re gonna compare them, they both were original ideas with visionary filmmakers.” However, Stahelski admitted the John Wick franchise wouldn’t be around without The Matrix. “No one was under any delusion that Matrix wasn’t going to be pretty awesome. Then David Leitch [co-director of the first Wick film] and I stayed on for V for Vendetta and Speed Racer, so we pretty much got a decade of Wachowski film school. The John Wicks are definitely children of The Matrix,” Stahelski said.
The Matrix was a redefining role for Reeves, who played the computer programmer Thomas Anderson who secretly operated as a hacker named Neo. Also starring Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano, The Matrix became a huge sensation following its 1999 release, winning four Academy Awards and grossing over $467 million at the global box office, spawning three follow-up films in Reloaded, Revolutions and Resurrections. Stahelski, who has helmed all four movies in the John Wick franchise, played Reeves’ stunt double in The Matrix while coordinating martial arts stunts in Reloaded and Revolutions. In Resurrections, Stahelski got his first acting credit in The Matrix series, playing the husband of Tiffany (Moss).
John Wick’s Matrix Reference
The John Wick franchise has leaned into The Matrix comparisons before, particularly in Chapter 3: Parabellum which featured an Easter egg referencing the sci-fi movie. During a scene involving John and Continental Hotel owner Winston, the owner asks John what he needs as he looks to take down the High Table. John responds, “guns, lots of guns,” a clear nod to Neo as that was the same line Neo used when he and Trinity prepared for a lobby shootout sequence in The Matrix.
Chapter 4 sees John Wick resume battle with the High Table while trying to secure freedom. However, the professional hitman faces off against a ruthless new enemy in Marquis da Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) with powerful alliances across the globe, including some of John’s former friends-turned-foes. Featuring Fishburne (Bowery King), Donnie Yen (Caine) and Lance Reddick (Charon), the movie was shot across Paris, Berlin, Osaka and New York City. It was initially due for a 2021 release but was pushed back due to Reeves’ Resurrections commitments, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chapter 4 is the longest installment in the John Wick franchise at 2 hours and 49 minutes, which is 38 minutes longer than the previous record held by Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Additionally, the movie introduces a potential new partner for John Wick and features more intricate action scenes than in the previous films, according to Reeves. Stahelski has hinted that a John Wick 5 is likely to happen, though he scrapped the idea of shooting the fourth and fifth installments of the neo-noir crime thriller series back-to-back.
Fans can see John Wick in action once more when Chapter 4 opens in theaters on Mar. 24.
Source: Wired
