Yeah. We’re thinking he’s back. During the filming of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, Keanu Reeves was sitting on the floor, desperately needing a break while filming the antique store fight. Chad Stahelski, director of all four movies in the series, saw him and had three words of encouragement: “Wick is pain.”
This documentary is over 10 years in the making. It all started as behind-the-scenes coverage for an independent film co-directed by Stahelski and David Leitch, two people who had been working in Hollywood for years on stunt teams and second units. Stahelski had actually been a stunt double for Reeves when he played Neo in The Matrix (you’ll find him launching Agent Smith into the subway tunnel roof after the line, “My name is Neo!”). Soon, Derek Kolstad’s spec script Scorn would be retitled John Wick, and John Wick would become one of the most well-known, consistently entertaining action franchises of all time.
Before we return to the world of Wick once again in Ballerina, the new spin-off film starring Ana de Armas, director Jeffrey Doe has put together a documentary chronicling the making of four chapters of Wick. Fans of the Baba Yaga will have much to learn in this exceptional documentary about an even more exceptional film series. This documentary gives you an inside look at what it was like to bring these movies to life, starting from the ground up.
As a longtime fan of Wick, there are a few fun facts that I’ve known about these movies for a while. Some of you may know that the film lost $6.5 million of funding right before production was set to begin, which nearly killed the film before it was saved by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, who donated that amount of money and earned herself a producer credit on the first movie. I’ve known this for a while, so it was wonderful that this movie not only has that, but also a new look at the filmmakers behind this series.
Get to know Stahelski and Leitch, the visionaries who brought this movie to life. Like all independent films, it wasn’t easy. They had wanted to combine judo and gunplay into a movie for a while (learn which Jason Statham film they had initially wanted to use this style on before ultimately waiting for Wick). Find out about the nightmare of a production this movie had, from exclusive interviews with the directors, producers, and Reeves himself. They were always cutting scenes for time and budgetary reasons. This documentary gives you the perspective that, with all the stress and headaches, it’s a miracle that any movie gets made at all.
I love every John Wick movie. They’re all impeccable, including the new film Ballerina. If you’re interested in a look behind the scenes of this franchise, look no further than Wick is Pain, which is currently available anywhere you rent movies.
