Though hardcore fans may have seen the John Wick movies countless times and combed through them for references, fun facts, and more, the mysterious world of everyone’s favorite dog-loving assassin still holds plenty of secrets.
Thanks to the incredibly detailed world of the John Wick films, from John’s intense backstory as a hitman nicknamed “Baba Yaga” to the hotel that caters to some of the world’s deadliest assassins, many fans might have assumed that the first film was based on a novel and adapted for film. Believe it or not, John Wick was actually a completely original script. In 2012, writer Derek Kolstad developed the idea and started work on a project originally entitled Scorn, about a man who trafficked in evil and finally gets some sort of redemption, only to lose it.
After a few studios showed interest, he sold it to Thunder Road Pictures because they promised to make the movie as soon as possible. Though Wick was originally written as a much older retired hitman, Kolstad revised the script once Thunder Road purchased the rights, aided by Keanu Reeves.
The film might not have been based on a comic book or video game, but the character of John Wick has made the leap to both. Dynamite Entertainment has since released a comic book series about Wick’s origin story, and gamers can get into Wick’s mindset by playing a VR shooter called John Wick Chronicles. For the full effect, though, make sure you play a few hours of Nintendogs first.
From Bill & Ted to Speed, Keanu Reeves has appeared in an impressive roster of famous films. In 1999, however, he stepped into what was considered to be a career-defining role as Neo in the Matrix film series, a trilogy and universe that set new standards for action films and gave pop culture one of its best theories about alternate realities. As the techno-mystical Neo, “The One” who can control the synthetic reality of the Matrix, Reeves was cemented as a true action star, which made him an ideal star for the story of the assassin that all the other assassins are afraid of. Keep watching the video to see the rest of the untold truth of John Wick!
#JohnWick #UntoldTruth
Originality counts | 0:12
The Matrix connection | 1:27
Stuntmen to directors | 2:35
Star to stunts | 3:40
Desperate House-Wick? | 4:26
Classic inspiration | 5:03
Moving on | 6:13
Endless possibilities | 7:14
Precise world-building | 8:00
So what’s the deal with the coins? | 9:14
Welcome to the Continental | 10:25