‘John Wick 4’ Shot an Ending Where It’s ‘Very Clear He’s Still Alive,’ but Test Audiences Weren’t Happy: They ‘Preferred the Ambiguous Ending’ (2024)
Is John Wick actually dead? It’s the question every Keanu Reeves fan was asking after “John Wick: Chapter 4” opened in March. The film ended with John’s presumable death after competing in a duel to free himself from the High Table. John gets shot in the third round of the duel and seemingly dies on the steps of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur while seeing a vision of his late wife, Helen. The film then cuts to a a final scene of Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) visiting John’s gravestone.
In a new interview with Empire magazine, “John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski revealed for the first time that a more concrete ending to the action tentpole was filmed and tested. In this version of the film, there’s no question that John Wick survives the events of the duel.
“We had a different ending,” Stahelskisaid. “[The theatrical ending]was the ending Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending. We shot an ending where you actually saw John Wick at the end of the movie. So it was very clear that he was still alive. The audiences we tested with absolutely preferred the ambiguous ending.”
The ambiguous ending of “John Wick: Chapter 4” has led many to wonder if Keanu Reeves will return for a fifth “John Wick” movie. A “John Wick 5” now seems like more of a possibility given Reeves and Stahelski flirted with outright confirming John’s survival at the end of “Chapter 4.”
“I don’t know, I guess I’m going to have to lean on ‘never say never,’” Reeves toldEntertainment Weeklyafter “Chapter 4” opened about making another sequel. “I mean, I wouldn’t do a ‘John Wick’ film without [director] Chad Stahelski. We’d have to see what that looked like. For me, it feels really right that John Wick finds peace.”
John Wick’s potential death was the driving force behind Reeves’ interest in making “John Wick: Chapter 4” in the first place. As the actor said during a post-screening Q&A at the SXSW Film Festival, “When Chad and I were talking about it, the ‘why’ is death, and it was John Wick’s dead. For him to get his peace or his freedom in a way, that was the reason to make the movie. You gotta have the ‘why.’”
Inan interview with IndieWire, franchise producer Basil Iwanyk said the finale of “John Wick: Chapter 4” is “an ambiguous ending.” He added about Wick’s death, “I’ll put it that way. We don’t have this answer.”
“There are two characters, really,” Iwanyk added. “There’s John Wick, and John, the civilian. The question for all of us is, OK, if the audience embraces the story and the box office works, is there another story to be told? I don’t know. But I don’t think we’ve boxed ourselves into any corner, whether he’s dead or alive, at the end of this movie.”
Surely Lionsgate doesn’t want to say goodbye to Reeves just yet. “John Wick: Chapter 4”broke franchise recordswith its huge $73.5 million opening and pushed the franchise passed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Whether or not a fifth movies come to fruition, the “John Wick” franchise will continue in 2024 with the Ana de Armas-starring spinoff “Ballerina,” which features Reeves’ assassin in a supporting role.
"[The theatrical ending] was the ending Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending. We shot an ending where you actually saw John Wick
John Wick
John Wick is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad. Keanu Reeves stars as John Wick, a legendary hitman who comes out of retirement to seek revenge against the men who killed his dog, a final gift from his recently deceased wife.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › John_Wick_(film)
John Wick: Chapter 4's post-credit scene reveals that Caine is out to reunite with his daughter, but cuts away after Akira follows them and takes out a knife. Since she's still out for vengeance and Caine was John's ally, it's likely that the two will be pitted against each other.
John Wick 5 is in development, with Chad Stahelski working on the story. While a release date is yet to be confirmed, the cast is expected to include Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Laurence Fishburne. The plot remains a mystery, but fans can expect more adrenaline-fueled action from the legendary hitman.
Falling deeply in love with her, he sought a way out of his hectic, violent life. Viggo was willing to grant his wish, but with the catch that John had to complete an "Impossible Task." That meant he needed to defeat all of Tarasov's enemies in one night to ensure that they'd have no way to regroup and retaliate.
Nobody is a mysterious hitman in John Wick: Chapter 4, known for his killer dog, combat skills, and journal of sketches and prices on John Wick's head. Despite being hired to kill John Wick, Mr. Nobody ends up saving him more often and becomes an ally, providing comic relief and a potential spinoff opportunity.
John was born Jardani Jovonovich in a Padhorje village somewhere in the Byelorussian SSR of the Soviet Union to a Ruska Roma family on September 2, 1964. He was orphaned at a young age before being taken in by an old friend of his father, Winston, who would eventually become John's mentor.
“We had a different ending,” Stahelski said. “[The theatrical ending] was the ending Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending. We shot an ending where you actually saw John Wick at the end of the movie. So it was very clear that he was still alive.
John Wick 5 potential release date: When can we expect John Wick 5? Even though John Wick 5 has been confirmed to be in development (probably), we don't yet have an official release date for the next movie as of April 2024.
Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 2, 1964, the son of Patricia (née Taylor), a costume designer and performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. His mother is English, originating from Essex. His American father is from Hawaii, and is of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, English, and Portuguese descent.
The tattoo across his back reads "Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat," translated from Latin into, "fortune favors the bold." It is reminiscent of the motto for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines - "Fortes Fortuna Juvat." The meaning is similar.
Nobody is primarily seen using a Custom Marlin 1894 Lever Action Rifle. This weapon needs to be manually rechambered after firing, making it extremely impractical for close-quarters combat.
Summaries. John Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins' guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.
No, "Nobody" and "Atomic Blonde" are not officially set in the same universe as "John Wick." While there are stylistic similarities and shared action choreographers among the films, there has been no confirmation that they exist in the same fictional universe. However, given the popularity of these film...
“Who knows,” says Winston. The King chuckles to himself as he walks away. Winston stays behind, touches John's grave, and mutters, “Farewell, my son,” in Russian. Then he too walks away, as the camera cranes up.
Wick's gritty trickery also makes good on The High Table's promise to free Caine of his obligations and thus allows him to safely see his daughter. The post-credit scene picks up at that moment when Caine is going to finally reunite with his daughter, a street performing musician.
The John Wick: Chapter 4 credits scene is a quick but impactful one. After the duel between Caine (Donnie Yen) and John Wick ended with a bullet in the head of the arrogant Marquis Vincent de Gramont, both master assassins were removed from any remaining debts to the High Table.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
