John Wicko Wick

Theatrical release poster

Directed by Chad Stahelski[a]

Produced by  Basil Iwanyk

 David Leitch
 Eva Longoria
 Michael Witherill

Written by Derek Kolstad

Starring  Keanu Reeves

 Michael Nyqvist
 Alfie Allen
 Adrianne Palicki
 Bridget Moynahan
 Dean Winters
 Ian McShane
  John Leguizamo
 Willem Dafoe

Music by  Tyler Bates

 Joel J. Richard

Cinematography Jonathan Sela

Edited by Elísabet Ronalds

Production  Thunder Road Pictures

companies
 87Eleven Productions
 MJW Films
 DefyNite Films

Distributed by Summit Entertainment

Release date  September 19, 2014 (Fantastic

Fest)
 October 24, 2014 (United
States)

Running time 101 minutes[2]

Country United States

Language English
Russian

Budget $20–30 million[3][4][5]

Box office $88.8 million[3]

John Wick (also known as John Wick: Chapter 1) is a 2014 American neo-noir action
thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski, in his directorial debut, and written by
Derek
Kolstad. It stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki,
Bridget
Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, and Willem Dafoe. It is the
first installment in the John Wick film series.
The story focuses on John Wick (Reeves), searching for the men who broke into his
home, stole his vintage car and killed his puppy, which were a last gift to him
from his
recently deceased wife (Moynahan).[6] Stahelski and David Leitch directed the film
together, though only Stahelski was credited.[1]
Kolstad had completed the screenplay in 2012 and further developed it for Thunder
Road
Pictures.[7] The film was produced by Basil Iwanyk of Thunder Road Pictures,
Leitch, Eva
Longoria, and Michael Witherill. It marks Stahelski and Leitch's directorial debut
as a team
after multiple separate credits as second-unit directors and stunt coordinators.
They
previously worked with Reeves as stunt doubles on The Matrix trilogy.[8]
Stahelski and Leitch's approach to action scenes drew upon their admiration
for anime[9] and martial arts films.[10] The film used fight choreographers[11] and
gun
fu techniques[12] from Hong Kong action cinema.[13] The film also pays homage to
works
such as John Woo's The Killer, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle Rouge and Le
Samouraï,[14] John Boorman's Point Blank, and the spaghetti western films.[15]
The film was met with positive reviews, with critics calling it one of Reeves' best
performances and one of the best action films of 2014. It grossed $88 million
worldwide
against a production budget of $20 million. Two sequels, John Wick: Chapter 2, and
John
Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, were released in February 2017 and May 2019
respectively, both to comparable critical and commercial success, with another
sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4, set for a May 2021 release. It is also the only film
in the
series to be distributed by Summit Entertainment, as the other films are
distributed
by Lionsgate Films.

Contents
 1Plot
 2Cast
 3Production
o 3.1Development
o 3.2Filming
o 3.3Cinematography
o 3.4Design
 3.4.1Costume
 3.4.2Set
 3.4.3Sound
o 3.5Visual effects
 4Music
  5Influences
 6Marketing
 7Release
o 7.1Pre-release screenings
o 7.2Theatrical run
o 7.3Box office
 8Critical response
 9Video game
 10Sequels
 11TV series
 12See also
 13Notes
 14References
 15External links
Plot[edit]
After John Wick loses his wife, Helen, to a terminal illness, he receives a beagle
puppy
named Daisy from his late wife to help him cope with his grief. Despite John's
stoic
demeanor, he bonds with the puppy and they spend their day driving around in his
vintage
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. At a gas station he encounters a trio of Russian
gangsters
whose leader, Iosef, insists on buying his car, but John repeatedly states that it
is not for
sale. Angered, the mobsters follow John to his home, knock him unconscious, steal
his
car and kill Daisy.
Iosef takes the Mustang to a chop shop to have the VIN changed. Aurelio, the shop's
owner, recognizes the car and, upon learning that Iosef stole it from John, punches
him
before throwing him out of his shop. John visits Aurelio, who identifies Iosef as
the son of
Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York City. Viggo,
informed by Aurelio of Iosef's activities, beats and berates Iosef before
explaining to him
who John Wick is: a famed assassin formerly in Viggo's employ, nicknamed "Baba
Yaga"
(translated in the film as Russian for "Boogeyman"). When John wanted to retire and
marry Helen, Viggo gave him an "impossible task," implied to involve multiple
assassinations in a short period of time. John succeeded, and his efforts were key
in
establishing the Tarasov syndicate.
Viggo tries to talk John out of seeking retribution, but John refuses. Viggo then
sends a
thirteen-man hit squad to John's house, but John kills them all and has the bodies
professionally removed. An unsurprised Viggo places a $2 million bounty on John's
head
and personally offers the contract to John's mentor, Marcus. John seeks refuge at
the
Continental Hotel, which caters exclusively to the criminal underworld and permits
no
"business" on its premises. Viggo doubles the bounty for those willing to break the
rules
to kill John at the Continental.
Winston, the Continental's owner, tells John that Viggo has Iosef under guard at
his
nightclub, the Red Circle. John enters the Red Circle and kills his way to Iosef
but Viggo's
henchman, Kirill, waylays John, allowing Iosef to escape. John retreats to the
Continental
to patch up his injuries. Ms. Perkins, an assassin and former acquaintance, sneaks
into
John's room to kill him but Marcus alerts John, allowing him to subdue Perkins. He
forces
Perkins to reveal the location of Viggo's front, knocks her unconscious and leaves
her
with Harry, a fellow assassin, to await punishment. However, Perkins frees herself
and
kills Harry.
John travels to the Little Russia church which serves as Viggo's front and destroys
Viggo's cache of money and blackmail material. When Viggo and his team arrive, John
ambushes them, but is subdued and captured. Viggo taunts John for thinking he could
leave his old life behind. Marcus intervenes again, allowing John to free himself
and to
kill Kirill before accosting Viggo, who reveals Iosef's location. John then travels
to the safe
house and kills Iosef and his bodyguards.
Perkins learns that John and Marcus have been in contact and tells Viggo, who has
Marcus beaten and tortured before executing him in his home. Viggo calls John to
report
this, planning to have Perkins ambush him. While waiting for John, Perkins is
called to a
meeting with Winston, who has her executed for killing Harry on Continental
grounds.
Winston calls John to inform him that Viggo is planning to escape by helicopter.
John
races to the harbor helipad, where he kills Viggo's remaining henchmen before
engaging
Viggo in a brawl on the dock. Viggo pulls a knife, and John allows himself to be
stabbed,
surprising Viggo. John then disarms Viggo and fatally wounds him. John breaks into
a
waterfront animal clinic to treat his wound and releases a pit bull puppy scheduled
to be
euthanized. John and the dog walk home along the boardwalk where he had his last
date
with Helen.
Cast[edit]
 Keanu Reeves as Jonathan "John" Wick (born Jardani Jovanovich)
[16]

A former hitman who returns to the criminal underworld when a Russian gangster
steals
his car and kills his dog.[6][17][18] Reeves viewed the character as one who tried
to change
for love but without his wife he became lost, and returned to the world of
assassins in an
"Old Testament revenge story" that possesses him.[18][19] The character was written
with Paul Newman in mind,[20] originally calling for "a man in his mid-sixties" to
play the
role, given the title character's fabled reputation. However, head of Thunder Road
Pictures Basil Iwanyk decided against casting an older actor, opting to instead use
the
stature of a seasoned actor to achieve this effect. [18][21] Both Stahelski and
Leitch were
adamant that Reeves would not learn any martial arts which he had learned before;
for
the role, Reeves spent four months learning judo, jujutsu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
from
"some of the toughest guys" Stahelski and Leitch had encountered, which included
their
"LA SWAT and Navy SEAL friends".[22][23][24][25] Stahelski spoke of developing a
close-
quarter combat style that utilised practical grappling forms combined with guns.
[26] Writer
Derek Kolstad chose the character's name as a tribute to his grandfather, the
founder
of Wick Buildings. Wick stated, "I was tickled by Derek using my name for a movie,
and
the hit man character was frosting on the cake." Reeves was paid a reported $1–2
million
salary for his role.[27][28]
 Michael Nyqvist as Viggo Tarasov
The head of the Tarasov crime family and an enterprising businessman with
questionable
roots.[18][29] Nyqvist was interested in the relationship between characters, Viggo
having
a father-son respect for John which is ruined by Iosef.[30] Stahelski stated that
the role of
Viggo had been decided after a great many meetings due to the importance and
complexity of the character,[31] noting that Nyqvist's quirkiness contrasted well
with
Reeves's stoicism. The filmmakers were determined to avoid the stereotypical
Russian
mobster,[31] with someone who was very charming while a believable bad guy. Iwanyk
stated that Nyqvist brought humanity to the character. Nyqvist trained in the
Russian martial art of Sambo while also studying his Russian instructors for the
role.[26][32] Kolstad said that Viggo had been a street brawler in Kiev who
ascended in
organized crime and is shifting toward legitimacy.[31] David Leitch stated that,
with input
from Nyqvist, they found humorous moments in the script which were carefully paced
with
the action.[33]
 Alfie Allen as Iosef Tarasov
The arrogant, self-entitled and foolish son of Viggo.[18][34] Allen found it
"invigorating" to
play a Russian villain and shoot outside of Game of Thrones's Belfast set.[35] He
was
attracted to the role for the New York accent and to work with Stahelski and
Leitch.[36] While in New York City, Allen visited Russian public baths to develop
and hone
the Russian accent which he developed for the film[36] and faced challenges with
the
Russian dialog.[36] Kolstad described Iosef as a pale imitation of his father, a
wealthy heir
who believes he is battle-hardened but is just a spoiled punk.[31] Allen praised
Reeves,
who helped him relax on set when nervous.[37] Allen said the film's theme was "all
men
can change."[36]
 Adrianne Palicki as Ms. Perkins
A distinguished female contract killer and a former acquaintance of John. [18][38]
The
character was originally envisioned as a man but was changed by Stahelski, Leitch
and
Iwanyk who offered the role to Palicki.[31] Palicki described the character as a
"cold,
heartless, conniving, badass" who enjoys her work.[39] Palicki spent months
training
at judo and jujutsu.[40] Of the character's backstory, Palicki suggested that
Perkins knew
Wick before his marriage and had a vendetta or rivalry with him.[39]
 Bridget Moynahan as Helen Wick
The beautiful wife of John Wick.[18] Leitch stated that Helen was the heart of the
movie
and needed an actress with Moynahan's talents. Moynahan decided not to read the
entire
screenplay, believing it would serve her performance to only know the loving side
of
John.[30][31][41] Iwanyk said that Helen was not concerned with John's past life.
[18]
 Dean Winters as Avi
Viggo's right hand man who has been his lawyer for many years.[18] Stahelski stated
that
Winters brought humor and tension to the role and that the scenes with Winters and
Nyqvist were among his favorites.[30][31] Winters praised Stahelski and Leitch's
usage of
practical sets and action sequences which did not rely on green screen and special
effects, which was a considerable education for him.[42]
 Ian McShane as Winston
The enigmatic owner of The Continental Hotel.[18][43] McShane described the
character as
"mysterious" and was attracted to the project due to his fondness for modern noir
films.[31] Kolstad noted that Winston speaks little but "the earth moves" when he
makes
his voice heard.[18]
 John Leguizamo as Aurelio
The proud business owner of Aurelio's Garage, a high-end chop shop.[18][44]
Leguizamo
stated that Aurelio saw the coming storm when Iosef brought John's car to his shop,
that
Aurelio was going to offend one or the other and had no winning move. [31]
Leguizamo
believed that the costume design created a big boost and had a great impression on
him,
helping him get into character.[18]
 Willem Dafoe as Marcus
A member of the old guard of assassins who is battle hardened, reliable and amongst
the
elite.[18][45] Dafoe said that the character was a mentor to John and that they
were rare
friends in a world of killers.[31] Kolstad stated that Marcus had a paternal role
as "king of
the pride" who was ruthless in seeing the next generation of predators follow him.
Dafoe
appreciated the original screenplay, which he felt told the story mainly through
action, and
praised the filmmakers' enthusiasm.[18] He felt the project stood out as unique.
[46] Dafoe
stated that the directors' use of gun fu combat created an interesting mix of
action [47] with
unique choreography integrated into the story.[48]
The cast also includes: David Patrick Kelly as a "cleaner" named Charlie; Randall
Duk
Kim as an underworld doctor; Lance Reddick as Charon, a talented concierge at The
Continental Hotel; Munro M. Bonnell as a Russian Orthodox priest who protects the
vault
where Viggo stores his valuables;[49] Omer Barnea as Gregori and Toby Leonard
Moore as Victor, Iosef's friends and bodyguards; [49] Daniel Bernhardt as Kirill,
Viggo's
henchman;[50] Bridget Regan as Addy, a bartender of the Continental and former
acquaintance of John,[49] Keith Jardine as Kuzma;[50] Tait Fletcher as Nicholai;
[50] Thomas
Sadoski as Jimmy;[50] Clarke Peters as Harry;[49] Kevin Nash as a bouncer named
Francis at the Red Circle nightclub;[51][52] Gameela Wright as a delivery
woman;[50][53] Vladislav Koulikov as Pavel;[50][53] Pat Squire as an elderly
woman;[50][53] Vladimir Troitsky as a team leader;[50][53] and Scott Tixier
(uncredited) as
a violinist.[54][55]
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Making a movie is actually fairly easy. Making a good one is much harder. It was a
huge
learning experience and I'm very proud of it. We stretched our schedule to the
absolute
limits. We fought for what we believed in, and chose to make a story-driven,
character-
driven action movie. That's why I chose to do it. This was an opportunity to do
something
that wasn't just about cars, explosions, fire and fights. Yes, John fights; yes, he
shoots
guns; and he drives a car very fast, but the focus was always trying to do
something
cinematically different.
— Chad Stahelski, on the experience of directing John Wick[18][relevant? – discuss]
The premise for John Wick was conceived by screenwriter Derek Kolstad who began
work on a treatment about a retired contract killer coming out to seek vengeance,
titled Scorn.[56] After one month of work, he had completed the first draft of the
screenplay,
and once he had addressed several issues he pitched the script to various clients,
garnering at least three offers.[57] Kolstad was influenced by film-noir classics
and the
themes of revenge and the antihero and what might play out if the most evil man
found
redemption only to have it taken away.[18][58] The works of Alistair MacLean and
Stephen
King influenced Kolstad in creating the story in terms of world-building and
characterisation, respectively.[20]
On December 3, 2012, it was announced that Thunder Road Pictures had bought the
script with discretionary funds, with Kolstad agreeing due to plans to make the
film straight
away.[7][57][59] When Basil Iwanyk, head of Thunder Road Pictures, had first read
Kolstad's
original screenplay, he was immediately drawn to the main character of Wick. [31]
He also
admired the emotional weight and action theme of the piece. After Thunder Road had
optioned the script, Kolstad spent additional months refurbishing the script with
them. In
the original script, the character of John Wick was written with "a man in his mid-
sixties"
to play the role, given the title character's fabled reputation as a revered and
respected
assassin.[31] However, Iwanyk was of the belief that this was irrelevant, and
rather than
casting an older actor looked for a film veteran.[60]
On May 7, 2013, it was announced that Keanu Reeves had begun negotiations in April
to
star in the piece. He was later confirmed as the film's male lead, after Iwanyk and
Peter
Lawson of Thunder Road showed him the script, [18] which he thought to be full of
potential.[61] Reeves and Kolstad had worked closely together on further developing
the
screenplay and the story,[57][62] with the screenwriter stating that Reeves
understood how
even tiny details affect the story's strength.[63] The title of the film was later
changed
from Scorn as, according to Kolstad, "Reeves kept telling everyone that he was
making
a film called 'John Wick'", and the producers agreed, changing the title. [64]
During story discussions, Reeves contacted Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who he
originally met on the set of The Matrix,[65] to see if they were interested in
choreographing
the action[15][66] though he hoped they would direct.[66] He thought the project
and the
worlds it created would appeal to them.[15][66] The quality of the script and
Reeves'
enthusiasm convinced Stahelski and Leitch to direct the film. They later presented
a
thriller version of the story with Wick as an urban legend.[18] With Reeves'
support,
Stahelski and Leitch pitched the idea to the studio, who hired them to direct,
contrary to
an initial request of directing the film's second unit.[15] On May 7, 2013, it was
announced
that Stahelski and Leitch were to direct the film,[67][68] though it was later
ruled by
the Directors Guild of America that only Stahelski would be given the director
credit.[1] Leitch was credited as a producer.[69]
Stahelski acknowledged the challenges in balancing the action with the pace and
tone,[47] having done this for individual scenes but never before for a whole
movie. He
acknowledged that action itself should be a collaborative entity with the story, as
opposed
to being a separate element.[70] He said they didn't stop the story for an action
sequence,
but integrated it to provide a deeper feeling of the characters.[46][70]
It was remarked by Kolstad, once Reeves, Stahelski and Leitch were officially on
board,
that from January to September 2013,[71] he was still working on the final drafts
of the
screenplay, which he described as a "relentless process ... in order to get
everyone's
vision in check."[71][72]
On September 12, 2013, Willem Dafoe was confirmed to have been cast in the role of
Marcus.[73][74] On September 19, 2013, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne
Palicki and
Dean Winters were confirmed to be a part of the film's supporting cast. [75][76] On
October
14, 2013, Bridget Moynahan had joined the cast in the role of Wick's wife. [77][78]
[79] On
October 15, 2013, Jason Isaacs had joined the cast, portraying David.[80][81][82]
On
November 27, 2013, Daniel Bernhardt was confirmed to play Kirill.[83]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography was confirmed to have begun in New York City, with an
original
shooting schedule from September 25 to December 5, 2013. [84][85] On October 14,
2013,
shooting began in Mill Neck, New York,[86] with the filming scheduled to continue
in the
greater New York area.[78][87]
On August 26, 2013, Lionsgate announced that they were looking for "a high-end
glass
house with a water view" that was located in Nassau County where the 'Intruders'
sequence was ultimately filmed. Both interiors and exteriors of the house were
used. A
couple of additional scenes were shot in Long Island.[88] On October 6, 2013,
filming
occurred next door to the Flatiron School, on 11 Broadway. [89] The production
moved
to Brooklyn on October 24, with filming occurring on 6th Avenue between Union
and Carroll Street, President Street between 6th and 7th Avenues and Carroll Street
between 6th and 7th Avenues.[90] Additional filming later occurred at the St.
Francis
Xavier Church on 6th Avenue.[91][92] On October 28, 2013, a scene was shot
at CITGO gas station, 501 N. Highland Ave in Upper Nyack, while also shooting
footage
at Route 9W and Christian Herald Road.[93][94]
On November 1, 2013, filming took place in lower Manhattan at 1 Wall Street Court,
used
for the exterior of the Continental Hotel. On November 12, 2013, some scenes were
shot
on 25 Broadway,[95] and in downtown Manhattan on Beaver Street by Broad
Street.[96] Filming also took place at W 43rd Street and 8th Avenue, on November
13, in
Manhattan,[97] and club scenes for John Wick have been filmed on W 27 Street, with
November 15 being the last night schedule at the location. [98] On November 21,
2013, it
was announced that a bath house scene was scheduled to be filmed on November 24,
December 4 and 5.[99] Other shooting locations included Tribeca, on November 20, in
which a chase scene was filmed on Church Street.[100] It was also reported, on
November
27, that filming had been set up on E 83rd Street and 3rd Avenue on the Upper East
Side.[101][102]
On December 2, 2013, a three-week Upper East Side shoot was scheduled until
December 22, with Keanu Reeves and Willem Dafoe filming several scenes.[103]
Filming
continued to shoot in Tribeca from December 3 to 5, with the notification placed on
Church
and Franklin.[104] After the Tribeca shoot, the crew moved to Long Island on
December 6
to film a funeral scene.[105] Additional filming was reported on December 13 for
Chambers
Street, Worth Street and Lafayette Street.[106] On December 19, Reeves was filming
in
the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.[107]
Principal photography was confirmed to have ended on December
20,
2013,[108] with post-production beginning on January 10, 2014.[109]
According to directors commentary, their first cut of the movie was 2 hours and 20
minutes
long. They didn't reveal much about approximately 39 minutes of footage that was
left out
of the movie but they did mention that the climactic fight between John and Viggo
was
pared down after they acknowledged that Viggo shouldn't pose a big physical threat
to
Wick. David Leitch said many visually amazing shots were cut which were "just Keanu
walking in cool environments."[110]
Cinematography[edit]
Having the ALEXA XT with in-camera ARRIRAW is like going back to an ARRICAM or an
ARRIFLEX 435, which is amazing.
— Cinematographer Jonathan Sela, on the usage of ALEXA XT
on John
Wick[111][incomprehensible]
The film was shot digitally with Arri Alexa XT in a distributed aspect
ratio of 2.39:1.[112] Cinematographer Jonathan Sela chose to work with Arri Alexa
XT
cameras due to discussions regarding the look of the film. He had pushed for a mix
of Arricam and Alexa for a blend of film and digital[111] but the cost of both
packages and
film was unreasonable so they used ALEXA exclusively. Sela had familiarity with the
camera from previous commercial work.[111]
Sela spoke of the idea that Stahelski, Leitch and himself wished to achieve a
visual
contrast between John Wick's normal life and the other of which he's drawn back
into the
underworld of assassins. "We wanted the first look to be soft and clean, and the
second
to be grittier, darker and sharper." They shot with a single camera so Sela used
lenses
and camera techniques to achieve the contrasting visuals. He describes the first
section
of the film as being far more static by stating that, "the camera never stops
moving".[113] For John Wick he had decided on using both anamorphic and spherical
lenses, to which he combined a set of Hawk V-Lite Vintage '74 anamorphics with that
of Cooke S4 sphericals. The initial plan was to use the anamorphic and spherical
lenses
in the first and second parts, respectively, to create the visual contrast;
however, he
decided against such a course of action as he felt camerawork alone sufficiently
separated the worlds, allowing them to use anamorphics for day shoots and
sphericals at
night.[111] Sela praised Hawk's Vintage '74 as "beautiful", though they flare
considerably,
which would have become overbearing during night-time shooting. He felt their
daytime
use gave a "hazy look [... which seemed ...] more cinematic".[111]
According to Sela, on-board ARRIRAW recording with the ALEXA XT cameras made a
considerable difference with camerawork, stating, "Having the ALEXA XT with in-
camera ARRIRAW is like going back to an ARRICAM or an ARRIFLEX 435, which is
amazing."[incomprehensible] There was a considerable amount of handheld camera work
on
the second section and usage of the ALEXA M allowed filming through windows and
tight
spaces, particularly for the car scenes.[111] Sela was recording ARRIRAW and used
the
whole sensor area of ALEXA's 4:3 for the anamorphic scenes, which allowed for the
maximisation of the image quality for a 4K cinema release. The extra sensor area
provided valuable data for later image processing.[111]
The choice of using only a single camera led to the development of the film's long
take fight scenes, as they could not afford a second camera. Often, during these
scenes,
the actors that were first to fall would have to get up once out of shot, race
behind the
camera, and then jump in again as a new attacker.[114]
Design[edit]
Costume[edit]
Costume designer Luca Mosca explained that Wick had to possess a piece of attire
that
had to be worn throughout almost the entire production of the film. Mosca's team
tailored
it to be "sleek and timeless" for the film's world. Due to the nature of the world
Stahelski
and Leitch created, Mosca had to create a statement for every character based on
their
costume.[30] Reeves gave praise for the costume designer and highlighted Mosca's
ability
to give the pieces of clothing subtle meanings. He described his costume as
"funereal"
and "priestly" and stylish without standing out.[44] Initially the villains were to
be in combat
gear, but later they decided against that due to the principle that they have to be
placed
in suits, with Leitch quoting Mosca, "It is about men in suits."[115]
Set[edit]
John Wick features not two worlds, but instead "two of everything", joked
production
designer Dan Leigh on the contrast of the worlds.[30] Leigh approached the
production as
a graphic-novel fable, with ethereal textures and unexpected set dressing. [116]
Sound[edit]
James Bolt and Martyn Zub were the re-recording mixers. Mark Stoeckinger was the
supervising sound editor.[117]
Production sound mixer Danny Michael had used Sound Devices' 788T-SSD digital
recorder[118] and CL-WiFi[118] as sound devices, supplemented with a Lectrosonics
VRT-
Venue System, Lectrosonics radio mics, Schoeps CMC-6U and CMIT-5U microphones,
a Cooper Sound 208 mixer, Blackmagic dual seven-inch monitors and a Denecke Dcode
GR-1 as the main time clock.[118] The action-oriented film required many sound
effects
and "file-based workflow".[119][further explanation needed]
For Michael, the 788T-SSD's ability to swap removable storage was an advantage,
supplying CompactFlash (CF) to the post-production company Light Iron, in order for
them to process the raw unedited footage on set.[119] Michael stated he would hand-
off
his sound at every camera change to a person in arm's reach[120] who assembled it
with
the digital footage on the spot.[120]
Visual effects[edit]
Jake Braver was the overall visual-effects supervisor and visual-effects company
Spin
VFX worked on most of the visual effects.[121]
Music[edit]
Main article: John Wick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The musical score to John Wick was composed by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard,
with
on-screen violin music performed by Scott Tixier.[122] The film features a few
pieces of
additional music such as Marilyn Manson's "Killing Strangers" and T-Bo and Bengie
B's
"Get Money". The original soundtrack album, John Wick: Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack, was released digitally on October 21, 2014 and received a physical
format
release on October 27 by Varese Sarabande Records.[123] In addition to Bates and
Richard's score, the album features music by artists such as Ciscandra Nostalghia,
The
Candy Shop Boys, and M86 & Susie Q. Le Castle Vania provided additional music for
the
score.[122][124]
Influences[edit]
Director Chad Stahelski said influences on John Wick included The Good, the Bad and
the Ugly (1966), Point Blank (1967), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), and The Killer (1989).
[125]
Stahelski considered the untold backstory in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and
wanted
to leave John Wick's to the audience's imagination.[25] He also said that they
repeatedly
watched Point Blank and made homages to it in John Wick.[126] Park Chan-wook's The
Vengeance Trilogy (2002–2005) and Lee Jeong-beom's The Man from Nowhere (2010)
influenced the film due to their "minimalist composition and graphic nature." [127]
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad said that he was hugely influenced by Alistair MacLean
for
world-building and Stephen King for characterisation, noting that King surprised
readers
with what a protagonist could be driven to.[128] Stahelski and Leitch also drew
inspiration
from the visual stylings of the 1960s and 1970s and works of Sergio Leone, Akira
Kurosawa, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, William
Friedkin and Sam
[25]
Peckinpah. Stahelski stated liking the Kurosawa and spaghetti western sensibility
in
the composition, and that noir film had less influence on them.[125][126][129]
Marketing[edit]
The official website for John Wick debuted on August 15, 2014 introducing a
marketing
campaign and interactive layout to promote the film. The website streamed an audio
file
and contained interactive games such as "The Red Circle Club" and "Revenge
Ride".[130] Lionsgate provided information on the cast and crew along with a
gallery and
video section.[131] The first images debuted on August 21, 2014 featuring Reeves'
as
Wick.[132] With the release Liongate confirmed the film being set for a "sudden
release"
on October 24, 2014.[133] On September 10, 2014, the teaser poster was released
with
the confirmation date of the expected teaser trailer.[134] The teaser trailer for
John
Wick debuted September 12, 2014.[135] The theatrical release poster and the final
theatrical trailer were both released on September 30, 2014, by Stahelski and
Leitch on
an 'Ask me anything' Reddit session.[136]
Lionsgate had provided Collider and Moviepilot, on October 2, 2014, with a prize
pack to
give away to various readers, which included Assassin's Creed Unity, a
$25 Fandango gift card, a Lionsgate DVD 3-pack with Dredd, Gamer, and Rambo, and a
John Wick poster and T-shirt.[137][138] On October 6, 2014, the official website
for John
Wick had been updated to include three trailers, photographs with John's story,
individual
cast photos, and mini-biographies.[139] The IMAX TV spot trailer for John Wick
debuted
October 6, 2014, featuring new footage of the film. [140] Carl F. Bucherer was the
official
partner of the John Wick premiere in New York City on October 13, 2014. Keanu
Reeves sported a Manero AutoDate with a light dial, Willem Dafoe wore a Manero
AutoDate in classic black, and Daniel Bernhardt with a Patravi ChronoGrade.[141] An
IMAX featurette was released on October 22, 2014 with clips relating to the film
accompanied by statements by Reeves, Stahelski, and Leitch.[142]
On October 16, 2014, John Wick was featured on the week's issue of Entertainment
Weekly.[143]
As part of a cross-promotional deal with Overkill Software, Lionsgate and Thunder
Road
Pictures, on October 21, 2014, John Wick was added as a playable character in the
online
game Payday 2. Other elements from the film were included, such as Wick's signature
weapons and skill tree that allowed for dual-wielding of certain firearms.[144]
Fandango
offered people who purchased tickets online at select theaters a free download of
Payday
2 through Steam.[145] Variety described Liongate's deal as a "pretty imaginative
marketing
move".[146] Danielle DePalma, Lionsgate's EVP of digital marketing, stated, "We're
big
fans of Payday 2 and the team at Starbreeze, and we're thrilled to kick off our
partnership
with such a cool movie".[147] Bo Andersson Klint, Starbreeze CEO, stated, "We've
finally
got a real hitman on our team. Being able to play as John Wick in Payday 2 ahead of
the
movie's release is a great reward for our loyal Payday 2 community."[147][relevant?
– discuss]
Release[edit]

The ArcLight Hollywood in Hollywood, California hosted the film's Los Angeles
premiere.
John Wick premiered at the Regal Union Square Theatre, Stadium 14 on October 13,
2014 in New York City.[148] It had an earlier screening at the Austin Fantastic
Fest on
September 19,[149][150] where it opened the official sidebar section, Special Gala
Screening, to an astounding reception.[151] It opened in Los Angeles at the
ArcLight
Hollywood on October 22, 2014.[152] John Wick had its television premiere on the
USA
channel on March 12, 2017.
Pre-release screenings[edit]
Prior to John Wick's public release, an advance screening of the film was shown on
October 9, 2014 at Regal Oakwood in Hollywood, Florida.[153] A screening was shown
in
advance at the UA Court Street in Brooklyn, New York on October 14.[154] Glendale
Designs sponsored a private screening on October 16, 2014 at Harkins Arrowhead
in Peoria, Arizona.[155] BackstageOL and Lionsgate hosted an advance screening on
October 21, 2014 at Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium in Houston, Texas and
at the Santikos Embassy 14 in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, Lionsgate had
announced 40 additional advanced screenings at selected theatres in the United
States October 21 and 22, as part of a national promotional campaign. [156]
Entertainment
One Films held advance
screenings
in Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver between
October 20 and 23.[157]
Theatrical run[edit]
John Wick began a wide theatrical release in the United States on October 24,
2014,[158] expanding in successive
weeks
to France, Australia and Netherlands,[159][160] and premiered in the United Kingdom
on
February 2, 2015 after expanding throughout Europe.[161][162]
On May 22, 2013, Liongate had sold more than $250 million in territorial rights to
nine
titles at the Cannes Film Festival, including John Wick.[163] Studio Canal will
distribute the
piece throughout Germany,[164] Metropolitan Filmexport acquired the French
distribution
rights to John Wick from Lionsgate,[165] Acme Film acquired the distribution rights
throughout the Baltic region,[166] Monolith Films acquired the film rights
in Poland, Imagem had acquired the Latin American distribution rights,[164] Orange
Sky
Golden Harvest obtained the film rights in Taiwan and Hong Kong,[162] and Media Pro
acquired the rights in the regions of Czech, Romania,
Hungary,
and Bulgaria. [162] Entertainment One Films picked up the Canadian distribution
rights.[167] On June 10, 2014, Belga Films had acquired the rights to distribute
the film
within the Benelux region.[168] On July 2, 2014, MK2 Pictures were confirmed to
have
acquired the Italian distribution rights to John Wick.[164][169] On May 8, 2014,
the Huayi
Brothers picked up the Chinese distribution rights to John Wick, being one of only
four
films from the United States that were picked up, with a planned 2015 limited
theatrical
release.[170] On August 11, 2014, Lions Gate Entertainment acquired from Thunder
Road
Pictures the distribution rights to John Wick in the United States, with a planned
2014
limited theatrical release,[171][172][173] and in October, Summit Entertainment, a
Lionsgate
company, distributed the film in the United States[174] On October 31, 2014, it was
announced that Warner Bros. Pictures would be distributing the film within the
United
Kingdom.[175][176] It was later announced that the release date in the United
Kingdom was
moved back from the first weekend of 2015 to April 10, 2015.[177]
On October 2, 2014, Summit Entertainment announced that John Wick would be released
in IMAX.[178] Phil Groves, Senior Vice President of IMAX Corp and Executive Vice
President of Global Distribution, IMAX Entertainment, stated, "John Wick is a fun
action
romp, complete with a tremendously entertaining performance by Keanu Reeves that is
perfect for IMAX fans."[179] further adding, "There's no better place for audiences
to
experience the film's stylized storytelling than in IMAX theatres."[180][relevant?
– discuss]
Box office[edit]
John Wick earned $14.4 million from 2,589 locations on its opening
weekend,[181] compared to the $7–8 million most analysts projected the film would
make.[182] By the end of its theatrical run, John Wick grossed $43 million in North
America
and $45.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $88.8 million,
against a
production budget of $20–30 million.[3][4]
The film had a wide release in the United States and Canada in selected theatres on
October 24.[183] The film earned $5.45 million on its opening day, [184] including
$875,000
from Thursday night previews,[185] which was the second-highest opening of that
weekend, at an average of $5,465 per theater. [186] The film grossed $2.5 million
from
347 IMAX locations that weekend, which represented 17.7 percent of the film's
overall
gross for its opening weekend.[187] The audience was 60% male and 77% were older
than
25.[188][181]
Outside North America, the film took $1.4 million during its international opening
weekend.[3] The film's highest-grossing debuts
were
in France, Australia, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. [189] On
its second
week, it added $6.7 million from 33 territories. [190] The film went number one in
France
($1.2 million) from 300 screens, number three in Australia ($961,000) from 177
screens,
and number ten in the Middle East ($1 million) from a total of 80 screens.[190]
Critical response[edit]
John Wick earned a positive reception upon release, attaining praise for the action
sequences, direction, visual style, pacing and the performances of the cast,
especially
Keanu Reeves as John Wick.[191] The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave
the film a score of 87% based on 211 reviews, and an average rating of 6.95/10. Its
critical
consensus reads, "Stylish, thrilling, and giddily kinetic, John Wick serves as a
satisfying
return to action for Keanu Reeves – and what looks like it could be the first of a
franchise."[192] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a
weighted
average score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 40 critics, indicating
"generally
favorable reviews".[193] CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a "B"
grade,
on an A+ to F scale.[194][195]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone stated, "John Wick is the kind of fired-up,
ferocious B-
movie fun some of us can't get enough of" and noted the "juicy performances" from
Dafoe,
Leguizamo, and McShane.[196] Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote, "Action movies
are about movement, and John Wick pursues that goal with remorseless
verve."[197] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film a "B+" rating,
stating, "An
underworld fantasy that grafts crisp action on to Rian Johnson-esque world-
building,
producing one of the more fully realized shoot-'em-up flicks in recent memory." He
continued by praising Kolstad's script which "distinguishes itself by carefully
defining the
boundaries of its universe".[198] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the
film
an "A−" rating and called Kolstad's screenplay, "a marvelously rich and stylish
feat of
pulpy world-building."[199]
Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "After a marked absence from the
genre,
Reeves resoundingly returns with an effortless, kinetic style that positions the
film
extremely well for any potential follow-ups."[200] Peter Debruge of Variety spoke
highly of
the film, "Back in action-hero mode, Keanu Reeves joins forces with his Matrix
stunt
double to deliver a slick and satisfying revenge thriller" and noted "what a thrill
well-
choreographed action can be when we're actually able to make out what's
happening".[201] Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice said that, "Reeves is
wonderful
here, a marvel of physicality and stern determination – he moves with the grace of
an old-
school swashbuckler."[202] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture commented, "It's a beautiful
coffee-table
action movie."[203]
Jeannette Catsoulis wrote, in her review for The New York Times, "Harboring few
ambitions beyond knock-your-socks-off action sequences, this crafty revenge
thriller
delivers with so much style – and even some wit – that the lack of substance takes
longer
than it should to become problematic." Catsoulis praised Dafoe and Leguizamo for
"bringing real subtlety to an all-too-brief scene" and Nyqvist as "marvellous", as
well as
Stahelski's direction and Sela's cinematography.[204] Forrest Wickman of Slate
noted,
"John Wick offers a slow burn, sizzling in a manner true to its hero's
surname."[205] Jordan
Hoffman of The Guardian scored the film four out of five stars, writing, "A slick,
propulsive
and ridiculous crime picture that strides like an automatic machine gun."[206]
Peter Bradshaw, also reviewing for The Guardian, gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and
stated
"Reeves's semi-deliberate zonked deadpan style only really works in juxtaposition
with
funny dialogue – and this is a pretty humourless and violent film, which grinds on
and on
with more and more gleaming black SUVs getting trashed."[207] Ealasaid Haas of San
Jose Mercury News described John Wick as a "disappointingly standard revenge
movie."[208] John Semley of The Globe and Mail called the title "the new name in
crummy
action cinema," giving it one-half out of 4 stars.[209]
Video game[edit]
On August 7, 2015, Lionsgate and Starbreeze Studios announced a partnership to
develop a first-person shooter virtual reality game based on the film for the HTC
Vive/Steam VR. Development was to be headed by Grab Games, with Starbreeze set to
publish. WEVR was to develop an introductory experience for the game. The game was
released on February 9, 2017, with the name John Wick Chronicles.[210] and have a
standalone narrative based on the Continental Hotel.[211][212] Additionally, John
Wick
content – a free Character Pack and a chargeable Weapons Pack – was released for
the Payday 2 games on October 20, 2016, as cross-promotion.[213][214]
“The Reaper” character skin in Fortnite: Battle Royale was often referred to as
John
Wick.[215] There has since been an official John Wick skin released alongside a
limited
game mode titled “Wick’s Bounty.”
Sequels[edit]
Main articles: John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
A sequel was released on February 10, 2017,[216] and at the 2016 CinemaCon, Reeves
hinted that more sequels had been planned.[216] Following the release of John Wick:
Chapter 2, a third movie was released as of May 17, 2019 by the name of John Wick:
Chapter 3 – Parabellum.[217][218] A fourth installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, is in
the
works, and is set for release on May 21, 2021.