Why John Wick Almost Went Straight to DVD/Blu-Ray

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John Wick Chapter 4 was just released, so it felt like the right time to go back to 2014 and look at the production of the very first film. In this video, I go over the strange production history of Keanu Reeves' biggest comeback.
Keanu career video: • The Always Changing Ca...
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
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Special thanks to Andrew Elliott (Stalli111: / stalli111 ) for editing this video!

[@captainmidnight]

Do you have a favorite John Wick movie? Go to brilliant.org/Midnight/ and sign up for free 30 day trial, the first 200 people that go to that link will get 20% off the annual Premium subscription.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Straight to DVD? That's sad. 😢

[@onojioboardwalk9748]

.. 'Its a boring franchise' is why, Reason explained. It should not have been made over a Constantine sequel.

[@awsome14619]

Are you going to talk about the Community Movie?

[@djlumi4863]

I've watched the first John Wick film last week as it was aired on tv and I have to say that one is my fav

[@onojioboardwalk9748]

@@djlumi4863 Were glad you did.. Never a more blander, Duller-time than with that franchise. Its almost completely harmless and made of wood-fence plank.

[@TheJadedJames]

Seriously, imagine being the film executive who WALKED OUT OF JOHN WICK. You can never claim to have good instincts again

[@LuisSierra42]

That's film executives for you

[@TheRyujinLP]

The usually don't lol. Most of the time the executives luck their way into a hit and take undo credit for it. 90% of films would be better if they had no part to play in how movies get made.

[@antde2001]

Not how the industry works, but I get the sentiment.

[@uhoh7541]

@TheJadedJames I'd be willing to bet said film executive pretends the movie doesn't exist or denys the validity of the story. I almost always finish movies, have had plenty where the second half or even last third of the film makes up for whatever was wrong in the beginning. If it was my job to greenlight movies, I'd be damn sure to finish them just so I'm not the a$$hole who walked out on a gem like john wick.

[@mccarty]

@@LuisSierra42 easy for us outsiders to criticise. It’s just bloody hard to predict what makes a hit movie, let alone putting tens to hundreds of millions of dollars of money that you’re responsible for. Imagine putting your house as collateral to produce a movie, a “cool” idea with a A list star and/or director wouldn’t be enough, you’d want something more safe (popular IP with proven track record)

[@admiralweb27]

I'm so glad the directors got the recognition they deserved. Stunt actors and the stunt industry as a whole is often so thankless, and it's awesome people acknowledged how vital it was to John Wick.

[@silksonic3927]

there are a lot of reasons but the most important ones for success of JW movies are- 1- john wick universe which is faaarrr more interesting than james bond or mission impossible universe. 2- Except the not shooting on face of john wick action is waay more realistic than other action movies. 3- story is actually progressing with each film.its not the same old mission just with different villains.

[@silksonic3927]

john wick 4 deserves a billion

[@LuisSierra42]

@@silksonic3927 damn right

[@spike5499]

​​@@silksonic3927 bruh... the guy survives falling off buildings and getting hit by cars multiple times

[@tylerjames805]

@@spike5499 He said MORE realistic not 100% realistic

[@tectiva6126]

If I had a nickel for every time a Keanu Reeves-led action movie had a ripple effect on the genre as a whole, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but thank God it happened twice.

[@bub5842]

lmaoooo

[@Iosaiv]

Hahaha…😂👍

[@semioldguy]

I'd argue you'd even have three nickels. Speed had a good amount of ripple effect on action movies. (I'm assuming your other two nickels were from The Matrix and John Wick)

[@dangerfly]

Keanu Reeves seems like a nice person. What do you think the leading cause of children's death is in the U.S.?

[@acorgiwithacrown467]

2 is alot actually, I can't think of many actors that managed to change an entire genre more than once

[@ciriknockoff5738]

John Wick made me realize that I don't actually hate action movies, but I hate over the top explosions, shaky cams and quick cuts. I love good choreographed action and nice cinematography. Even if John Wick's story is over now, I hope they make more action movies in the same vein

[@Whalewraith]

I hate quick cut movies, I found Jason Bourne nearly unwatchable.

[@saisameer8771]

Good action scenes really need more appreciation. In most movies action scenes are just there for the sake of being there without much thought put into making them actually good.

[@queencancerous5332]

That's why John Wick works, the action starts out pretty simple and then just builds and builds with each movie.

[@livinglegend9709]

I can work past those cuts but seeing them in every movie starts to get annoying and repetitive. That's when I found John wick, equalizer, and upgrade

[@snailthelostcow63]

I agree and honestly, those factors are what makes an action movie worth the theatrical release imo I'm going to the movies to see HD 4K ultra surround film, not a seizure compilation

[@shaman9]

I did not know that about Elisabet Ronaldsdottir. She is an unsung hero/genius of this franchise. Thank you for sharing her contribution

[@doctorvanya]

On the whole editors are often the unsung hero/genius of cinema.

[@kryse4806]

@@doctorvanya I heard something like "if youre a good editor, no one will notice your work, and if youre bad then everyone will point it out"

[@alexdhomochevsky7904]

Turns out she's the unsung hero I was hoping to praise all this time! First movie was so great for me exactly because a lot of things were left unsaid, they were _shown_. And that is how it should be! All the rest of John Wick movies were just dumping exposition on us (mostly through Wincent), ugh. And suddenly most of the original charm was lost. I don't know why it happened but it makes me rather said - budgets got bigger, movies got brighter but kinda dumber as well

[@eon001]

This doesn't surprise me at all. There is a lot of John Wick level action movies that go straight to DVD all the time. A lot of Scott Adkins catalogue for example. The undisputed movies could have had a audience in the cinema.

[@ninjanibba4259]

The movies mostly suck tho

[@vjbd2757]

@@ninjanibba4259 Wdym? Steven Seagal's bargain bin slugfests are masterpieces. Just ask Space Ice.

[@ninjanibba4259]

@@vjbd2757 you and I have very big differences of the meaning masterpiece

[@vjbd2757]

@@ninjanibba4259 Just in case it flew over your head then yes I was being sarcastic.

[@rottensquid]

I remember watching John Wick and The Equalizer on the same day. My initial impression was that they were both just indulgent revenge films for self-indulgent middle-aged men (like myself.) I couldn't tell you at the time why JW stuck in my mind a bit, while The Equalizer faded. Denzel Washington is by far the better actor, and oozes deadly charisma. But when a great actor like Denzel or Bob Odenkirk plays a bad-ass, deep in the core of their performance, you can see them watching themselves, smugly impressed. Denzel swaggers even while sitting perfectly still, not even blinking. That's how great an actor he is. But Keanu does the opposite. He doesn't swagger, not ever. Not in four movies. When you see John Wick watching himself, he clearly doesn't like what he sees. Denzel, and Odenkirk, and the myriad other middle-aged revenge dads dating back to Eastwood and Bronson in the 70s, they sneer contemptuously at their enemies. Keanu's John Wick never seems under any illusion he's a better person, cleaning up the trash. He knows that he's trash too. There's a profound humility to John Wick, which is clearly Keanu's conscious choice. This is evident in his insistence on changing the name of the film. John Wick isn't motivated by scorn. And even if he was, he wouldn't spare himself from judgement. That's why Keanu's performance, despite his questionable acting skills, is so utterly riveting. He's making acting choices no other Hollywood action star would ever make. And those are the same choices he made for every action film that elevated him from star status, from Speed to The Matrix. He takes these rolls you expect to be played by cocky, reckless show-offs like Will Smith always plays, and he imbues them with a gentle humility and earnestness, the last thing you expect to see in such roles. He takes these self-indulgent stories, and strips the self-indulgence out of the character just by being Keanu Reeves.

[@Hamppdur]

John Wick 1, on its face, has such a simple premise. Man and wife. Wife die. Man sad. Wife send dog. Bad men murder dog. Man kill everything. At first, I wrote the movie off as a generic revenge movie. I don’t think I watched the first film until the 2nd sequel was announced. After watching it, I was immediately hooked by the creative choreography and camera work. And once I started looking into the bts work, the appreciation for everyone working on this film just continued/continues to grow. These films will be something I can’t wait to talk about in those “back in my day…” conversations.

[@xkmuffinzx3915]

"Greater than the sum of its parts" is a quote that comes to mind with the John Wick movies.

[@Hamppdur]

@@xkmuffinzx3915 100% agree.

[@uhoh7541]

@Hamppdur I wrote it off as Seagall type nonsense. Saw part of it at an ex GF's house around 2019 and the scenes i saw looked good. Decided it was worth buying the 4k disc just to experience the sound effects on my home theater. Didn't expect to like it as much as i did and immediately bought the sequels. It reminds me of kill bill in a way that the story is basic and been done so many times, but all the small details done well make the end product something unique and more than the sum of its parts.

[@Osama-KIN_TMZ01]

That's why I feel the negative saying of "style over substance" is such an oxymoron; a film or show is a full experience, so every aspect of it matters. Doesn't matter how simple or straightforward it is, if all those aspects are polished and consistent at their weakest with others elovated to the next level, it's what you would want from it. Plus, people geek over things much less nowadays, and many times even unique ideas or premises could be butchered beyond oblivion.

[@motherplayer]

Same here. I wrote it off as seeming like it was a direct-to-dvd film that went to the big screen too from the trailers. Then word of mouth came about it's choreography, and I gave it a shot. Really happy I did, because it was such a breath of fresh air for me at the time.

[@justinharris2320]

I always thought the movie "Nobody" was supposed to be in the John wick universe. I enjoyed seeing Saul go into John Wick mode!

[@denimchicken104]

“Nobody” is awesome. Criminally undervalued.

[@whqa]

When "Mr. Nobody" was brought up in JW4 I really expected an Odenkirk cameo in a small scene and they would both say they are nobodies 😂

[@jonfreeman9682]

Nobody was pretty good. It's like the first John Wick. Simple story with good action and funny in parts. They should make a sequel as actor knows how to play dead pan and stunt work is great. It could have gotten a cinema release.

[@UnknownOps]

@@whqa Better Call Saul turned into Nobody called Saul.

[@ye11owman29]

nah that movie was kinda lame tbh. John Wick was lightning in a bottle

[@nickasaro8789]

It’s kind of amazing how solid of a track record the John Wick series has. Every movie has felt like an improvement on the last.

[@denimchicken104]

I like them all, but I feel like they move in the opposite trajectory.

[@Youbeentagged]

Story-wise, the first movie is the best of the 3, but action-wise it did evolve tremendously.

[@portugahbk]

I have to disagree with that, the first one is the best one because it still feels somewhat grounded in reality, the rest of the movies throw this more and more out of the window, with the deciding factor for me being the moment in 2 where they introduce the bullet proof suits. The first one is a movie I can watch over and over again, while the sequels while they have great action scenes don't make me want to rewatch.

[@chrisdin4109]

The suits aren't just bullet proof they also make you immune to blunt force trauma. Even with a normal vest you'll still feel an impact

[@dillonleavelle6871]

@@chrisdin4109 I don’t think they make you immune, I just think John can push through the pain

[@Locadel2003]

Willem Dafoe was also awesome in that movie

[@Sixstringman]

He's always good. Platoon is a favorite.

[@jonfreeman9682]

William Defoe is a legend and deserves recognition for his lifetime contribution to film.

[@MegaJawa12]

I'm not one for pure action movies but decided to binge watch John Wick 1, 2 and 3 in one go before I went to see 4 as it came out. Gotta say I absolutely loved John Wick 4, i'll never forget the club scene with the music blasting on IMAX dolby speakers.

[@dangerfly]

How do you reconcile fetishizing and celebrating gun violence when kids are dying in U.S. schools? Edit: This is a psychology question. Most people don't know what cognitive dissonance is. Google is your friend. Relevant articles below also: -Politico How a New Hit Action Movie Explains Our Politics of Indifference "John Wick underscores how we’ve become desensitized to mass shootings and massive death in the modern world." -Esquire I Couldn't Bring Myself to Enjoy John Wick: Chapter 3 "Keanu Reeves stars in another brilliantly choreographed action film. But it was hard to stomach days after another school shooting in my hometown."

[@MegaJawa12]

@@dangerfly Ask the US government

[@dangerfly]

​@@MegaJawa12 People who feel guilty often deflect responsibility to others. It's one way to alleviate cognitive dissonance.

[@MegaJawa12]

@@dangerfly Away with capitalism

[@AyAngelchillfoo1315]

@@dangerflymaybe we should start getting rid of bad people and have good men protecting people instead of being pussys and not doing anything about it strong good men killing strong bed men is better than not doing anything at all

[@jeffwpatton]

I saw the first John Wick at the AMC in Downtown Disney opening weekend, and I was literally the only person in the entire theater. Crazy to see where the franchise is now.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Yeah same for me. They spent no money to promote it so nobody heard of it but it got good reviews and I wanted to support it but the cinema was dead as a dodo.

[@xXturbo86Xx]

Same here. After watching it i was like "why isn't everybody going nuts about this already"? It's like nobody wanted people to know this movie existed. Probably because it doesn't really fit Hollywood's current agenda.

[@louisochs9135]

​@@xXturbo86Xxgood point. And I don't think Keanu Reeves is a slimy Hollywood creep either, like the rest of them

[@waynebassett5958]

The main hook of the first John Wick film is the mystique about him. You see these big, burly professional criminals shitting themselves at the mere mention of his name, before you see John do anything and you keep saying to yourself, "Who the hell is this guy?" and continue to watch to find out.

[@arturcirilo7601]

For sure, I remember thinking that after the conversation between Viggo and his son. Then Viggo send the goons after John Wick and the beginning of that fight was ok, but when he jumps on guy judo him do the ground, shoots one guy and headshots the guy he is on top of. DAMN! I was hooked right there ^^

[@athenajaxon2397]

Also John Wick is named after the writer's grandfather! Originally he had a really generic name but after talking with the writer and he brought up his grandfather Keanu thought that was a way cooler name and that's how he got it

[@user-zb8ss9xb1b]

I really hope this is true! :)

[@benwasserman8223]

Well it makes sense. Wick was originally written as in his 70s, like a Clint Eastwood character. Then Reeves took up the role and they aged him down.

[@Blue_Lunacy]

I have watched several John Wick related video essays, this was the first time I heard anyone mentioned the editor, Elisabet Ronaldsdottir. Props to you to credit one of the team that made the movie very good.

[@drevil2675]

Keanu Reeves is a Man of Focus, Commitment and Sheer Fucking Will”.

[@gavinlopez7302]

I remember my parents putting this movie on for a movie night and thinking “oh it’s just another action movie that probably won’t be good” and it blew my mind, these are now my favorite movies

[@lavonnealexander6936]

Lmao 🤣 this was me. I put this on randomly and was blown away. Now I am obsessed with the series.

[@jonfreeman9682]

First John Wick wasn't that great but second and third they really cranked up the action.

[@miqueiasmota4767]

Same. I think I sat down with my dad to watch the first one and I was blown away. Even though I barely see my parents because of distance, I always think of them when i watch this franchise. I'm actually visiting them right now, and they loved the new one.

[@PornEqualsHappiness]

We should also give credit to the marketing around John Wick Chapter 1. It never gave away the movie's plot and kept it mysterious and engaging. Only thing I knew about the movie coming in was that it had Action Hero Keanu and he was the baddest of the bad. Perfect strategy for a lower budget movie built on execution over story.

[@DoctorXander]

They definitely revealed that the plot was based around John getting revenge for his dog. Lots of people thought it was silly unless they were dog owners

[@ye11owman29]

@@DoctorXander the ppl who thought that was silly must be physcopaths. Anyone would do what Wick did if somebody hurt their dog

[@kostaspassias3815]

That " Is someone going to get shot any time soon" or whatever by the producer really pissed me off. These people don't even know the most basic aspects of filmmaking, but we constantly have our media impacted by their worthless choices.

[@DonniedrakoE]

It's crazy that just like how in universe theses movies escalated from a simple dog to a world changing event, seeing how a franchise like this was originally not even going to air in theaters erupt into constant hits is mind boggling

[@jonfreeman9682]

Yeah same think with Taken which revived Liam Neeson career and created the whole retired assassin revenge genre. Liam Neeson himself said it was a paycheck gig DVD release for him. In a way the Fast franchise was kinda the same after two movies the third didn't do well and they were gonna do DVD release until they brought back the original cast and up the budget and the rest of history. But easily it could have been cheap DVD release with no original cast if studios wanted to go cheap.

[@darkdefender5759]

I remember almost not hearing about the first film. Watched it on blu ray and was blown away. I made sure to watch the 2 sequels in cinemas 😊

[@Minuteman_Medic]

Same happened for me, I hadn't heard about it until after it came out and was absolutely stunned.

[@darkdefender5759]

@@Minuteman_Medic same. Had to watch it again immediately

[@jonfreeman9682]

First John Wick got cinema release but they didn't have money to promote it so I only heard it got decent reviews so supported it in cinema. But thru good word of mouth the sequel doubled the box office and the third did even better.

[@makatron]

John Wick was my favourite 2014. It was simple, brutal, action driven colourful underworld that was just perfect. John said so little out loud but moved the story with each bullet.

[@SekundSun1986]

Never ceases to amaze me how much luck and how many things have to go right to make a successful project. Casting decisions, script changes, and short sightedness could have derailed so many beloved pieces of art. Just imagine all the things we'll never get to experience because they had less luck.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Oh yeah luck plays a huge role. Taken was the same thing and was gonna be a straight to DVD and Liam Neeson himself said in an interview he was shocked it got a cinema release and made ¼ billion as he thought it was a cheap DVD paycheck gig for him. That movie revived Liam Neeson career and created the whole retired assassin revenge genre. The same could be said for John Wick reviving Keanu Reeves career. It almost never happened.

[@TevyaSmolka]

I am so happy John wick didn't go straight to DVD/blu-ray because that would've been such a waste from the very beginning in my opinion.

[@EVacStation]

Stories like this make me wish I could spend a day as a Studio Executive. So many better projects would get greenlit. So many dumb ideas would get canned or reworked. The fact so many people slept or sat on this one is baffling to me. And I can only imagine how many other GREAT ideas are just shunned for the least compelling reasons.

[@Captain_Neckbeard]

They only want movies that push their political agenda. They don't care about entertaining us, anymore.

[@JosifovGjorgi]

It's the same story with Usual Suspects. The movie script was finished in the late 80s and it was rejected for 5 years. Someone with balls made a decision to make a movie, however that someone didn't have the ball to make more expensive and you can see it from the casting and the budget of 6 M. No one is A list actor, but almost everyone knew how to act (including Baldwin), Benicio Del Toro at the time was entry-level actor For the director Brian Singer it was his first movie The movie was made like B movie from the 80s and nobody expect success, including the cast members. However, it's was a hit and Kevin spacey won an Oscar for acting Or Monty Python and the holy Grail Studio Executives don't have a clue on what it takes to make a great movie and most of the great movies (or the classics) are pure coincident Just search on how it made or behind the scene on your favorite movie and you will realize that there was a lot of luck, instead of good decision making process

[@stateyournameplease]

I feel this movie series only works because of Keanu Reeves, I can't imagine anywhere as many people watching the movies with another lead...

[@MrCount987]

That is so true, im not gonna watch JW 5 if he isnt in it.

[@dirtyharry1881]

@@MrCount987 How's there gonna be a JW 5? He died in 4!?!

[@MrCount987]

@@dirtyharry1881 Still have hope that he isnt.

[@dirtyharry1881]

@@MrCount987 I understand. He's impervious to like 600.000 bullets in those 4 movies. Why would he die with this last one?

[@peterparker9954]

Yes...but no ... Keanu Reeves IS John wick just like RDJ is iron man/Tony stark.... But in lesser hands, John wick series would not have been this good.... The world building, music, aesthetic visuals and cinematography are what make this franchise breathtaking

[@i_so_late]

it's funny how on twitter today and yesterday people are arguing about critics vs audiences, when they both loved the John Wick movies, and it's clear the real villains with bad taste have always been studio executives

[@anotheryoutubeaccount5259]

Really?

[@tochukwuudu7763]

Keanu directed Man of Tai Chi, had no idea, I love that Film, the Action is fucking Glorious.

[@RobJarrell63]

I saw John wick opening night cuz I felt it was gonna at least be fun because of the action they showed....thank God it l8ved beyond expectations to the point I saw it two more times. It had that same effect on action genres that the first 2 Bourne movies did. The producers knew not what they had

[@lame-o7185]

4 was the perfect emotional conclusion to a near perfect franchise

[@usedhalfcart]

“..brother…” “. . you owe me” i really enjoyed their relationship greatly and the new characters we got too.

[@jonfreeman9682]

So you're saying 4 wraps up the story. It ends here.

[@lame-o7185]

@@jonfreeman9682 it should. bringing back John Wick would botch this film’s emotional impact. I’m not saying a sequel is off the table but cmon, let the man rest.

[@just_matt214]

​@@jonfreeman9682 Well yeah, hard to have a sequel without your title man.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

John Wick 3 existed because John broke one of the biggest rules in the Assassin game. Never kill on company grounds.

[@corngreaterthanwheat]

I know Nobody is just discount John Wick, but it’s pretty good in its own right. I really like the Wickiverse filmmakers.

[@paakdisayaniyom]

Can anyone imagine what if John Wick movie was release as a "Direct-to-DVD" movie? We would still stuck with the shaky quick-cut mess of a fight scene in grimy bathroom of post-Bourne action cinema... I'm so glad that this movie (alongside with the 3 sequels) exist because they brought action movies back to what it should be, fun and entertaining without being too realistic...

[@jonfreeman9682]

We would get a movie like Mr Nobody. LoL

[@sgtroach1510]

@@jonfreeman9682nah that movie is overrated

[@ethinwhite3454]

Hearing the story of one of my favorites movies of all time is awesome. Thanks Captain.

[@NealKlein]

I could have read this somewhere, but you know exactly how to breathe life into these videos. I love this video.

[@haroon420]

I’m so pleased that I went to watch John Wick 1 at the cinema. What sold me in the trailer was Keanu saying, ‘ppl keep asking me if I’m back, yeh, I guess I’m back’!!!

[@Stiffman1]

I'll never forget seeing John Wick 1, and the dog scene. Audience gasped, we were shocked. I remember two guys a few rows in front of us who immediately shouted 'what the fuck?! Fuck that guy! ". Everyone was on board, then the choreography was just incredible. But the combination of the 2, beautiful. Also severely underappreciated world building. I remember an article coming out that it builds its world better and more efficiently than marvel movies.

[@stateofmissouri5651]

I dont normally watch video essays like this in their entirety but this one kicks ass. Great footage of behind-the scenes filming too of John Wick 1

[@t-god2439]

Baby driver is one of the most slept on movies that doesn’t get enough credit

[@jjnet123]

Probably doesn't help having 2 people who are very controversial in it tbh.

[@Djou-Karl]

@@jjnet123 I know about Kevin Spacey, but who's the other controversial person?

[@jjnet123]

@@Djou-Karl Ansel elgort

[@jerrylewis788]

Because the ending was rushed and stupid.

[@kanekiken-pp6nb]

😂😂😂😂 Good one

[@sherry356]

Props to Lionsgate for giving this a chance.

[@josephhastings4839]

I’ve been watching you for years. Please do more of these types of videos. 🙏

[@ericfellner2689]

All of the trailers made it seem like a straight to DVD movie at the time.

[@davidseb9045]

I can't imagine a world where we didn't get John Wick

[@Iosaiv]

Just remember 2013. Like that.

[@p_e_a_r_s_e660]

You have a very limited imagination

[@dirtyharry1881]

@@Iosaiv Or even the world, but without having seen a film where a guy kills 500 people who shoot him, but somehow cannot hit their target even from 6 feet distance. Which is, you know, the actual world we live in.

[@Iosaiv]

@@dirtyharry1881 I get it, but a world without John Wick having come out, would also mean that nobody talks about John Wick.

[@rc1982]

In Brazil, the first movie was released with the title "De volta ao jogo", meaning sometiing like "Back to the game". No reference to the protagonist name. Only after the other movies were released the Brazilian title was changed to "John Wick: de volta ao jogo".

[@jasoncrane]

Great video, as always. I really love these movies. I came to them because of Keanu and stayed ... well, because of Keanu, but also because of the world building and stunning visuals.

[@808v1]

great video midnight

[@linewalker]

Thanks for this informative video

[@redaxer2908]

This is unrelated but that stunt at 4:14 when they easily could've done CGI is one of the reasons I appreciate the Matrix trilogy.

[@hero-lucha5926]

Thank you for this video

[@FlameG102]

hollywood hated it for the same reason it was a success. it was a simple, uncomplicated direct to the point movie, where the action was the entire focus of the movie, and thus, was high quality stunt action, and not liam neeson 15-cuts-to-climb-a-fence action or cgifest marvel/DC "we'll finish it in post" action

[@ComedyJakob]

The editor took one look at Keanu trying to act and said "Well, uh... hey, maybe he's like a silent type of hero, yeah?"

[@jeffwilson3818]

Keanu was on such a cold streak that whenever I heard a new Keanu action movie was out, I knew I was going to automatically ignore it. I remember first hearing buzz about John Wick as a new Keanu action flick, but that didn't suck. Actually, it was pretty good. Yeah, it turned out to be pretty good.

[@shoua7]

I remember not hearing anything about John Wick, until about a month before it was released. I saw the trailer on KZbin and thought, "My God, this movie looks so awesome! Why haven't I seen anything about it until now?" Then I found out that it wasn't originally supposed to be released in theaters.

[@keithmichael112]

I feel like atomic blonde is very underrated, it's a great watch

[@georgiebestmanutd4746]

Yes, JW4 paid homage to Hong Kong director, John Woo. We shud appreciate JW was no cake walk, Keanu had to train 4 months 4 fight scenes. Thanks 4 info on BRILLIANT; will look into it. Luv Maths !

[@icyjaam]

The best decison ever. Aaaaaah missed these types of releases.

[@jordantaylor4390]

I was stoked to see John Wick since the first trailer!

[@chad9971]

The original John Wick was definitely a "word of mouth" movie for me. I didn't even hear when it came out. A friend told me it was a dope movie, I checked it out, and I've been hooked with the franchise since.

[@KillahMate]

Love that the only interstitial in the whole video is a clip from the awesome John Wick Hex video game. Another creative team that swerved in an unexpected direction.

[@ccateni28]

Because it's Lionsgate. They love to do direct to video releases. Just look at how much they do that's direct to DVD / Streaming.

[@warrenthoms8423]

Incredible wrap up

[@joemartell7179]

Once the DvD set is out Im buying. Loved all 4 and it was a perfect ending.

[@Kritacul]

Same was true for Reservoir Dogs. Most Producers and executives felt it was too gory cause of the torture scene.

[@mattyboyb523]

Unbelievable story. I didn’t know any of this. Makes it that much better. Makes you wonder how many solid or even stellar movies have been shelved. Hollywood is clearly about 50 % goofballs. Thank you for this

[@oldmexicanwoman159]

We loved it sooo much, we are going to see it again this week. Yeeeeee 🤗

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.

[@Ineedgames]

Too many action films at the time were just Big Bald Guy just looking cool while doing nothing on screen. So John Wick was what the industry needed, and it's all the better since Every Mid Budget Action Film is focusing more on the fight choreography.

[@kpap1581]

I think there should be an oscar category for best stunt. It will give a recognition to stunt directors and actors

[@purefoldnz3070]

where I live the second John Wick movie was not released in movie theaters at all which was strange to say the least. I think also in Australia as well.

[@Blue_Lunacy]

In a few ways, I find John Wick 1 was quite similar to Knives Out. Both take the risk and succeed in revitalizing their respective genres. Both had amazing casts who all brought their A games to the project. Both had fantastic crews behind the cameras (looked up Knives Out video on how the movie was shot on digital but looked like it was shot on film). Among other characteristics.

[@gideon6603]

its not the plot that made john wick unique and fresh its the vibe

[@invisalats841]

It's very artistic in its ambiance but seems to hit the mark. It's an action film sure but it doesn't lack in any other aspect necessary. The knockoffs took the wrong lessons. They tried to basically copy and paste the visuals instead of understanding the reasons it worked in John Wick and creating their own interesting ambiance.

[@mattchew6426]

In Keanu's defense, I liked his movie Street Kings...

[@ARBLACKx]

Street kings was awesome. Chris Evans is in it as well!

[@TheSmokingMustache]

Well, I for one am glad it made it to theaters. Saw it 3 times while it was on the big screen. I love the first movie so much.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

*John Wick movies* Chapter 1: Wanted revenge against Russian teenager for killing his puppy. Chapter 2: Wanted revenge on Satino for destroying his house. Chapter 3: Wanted to hide from the High Table. Chapter 4: Wanted revenge against the High Table.

[@Random_dud31]

I would say chapter 4 is more getting free from the high table

[@usedhalfcart]

@@Random_dud31and not just for john anymore too which is cool to see

[@jeffcunningham0389]

@@Random_dud31 well chapter 4 starts out as him wanting to kill the high table. He kills the elder in the beginning. And then an hour into the movie it changes to what you’re saying. So he’s right

[@leyenda6149]

Did the dog's fate remind anyone of the plot point in De Niro/Sean Penn's movie "What Just Happened"?

[@jackiechan5815]

I remember this movie's premise going around as a revenge movie but instead of a family it's a dog and everyone thought it was goofy until you actually see how hard it goes

[@booboobumbum6602]

I think The Raid makes John Wick look like a geriatric trying to breakdance in calibres down stairs And I love JWick.

[@just_matt214]

Well yeah, it's The Raid. Comparing it to *anything* is sort of unfair.

[@micheleazzu]

Great video, I thought all John Wick was 90% Stahelsky, it's very interesting to know that its early success was created by so many people instead

[@memorian8472]

I'm so glad this series got to come so far. I remember all the film people I followed at the time raving about it, which pushed me to actually go and check it out and I loved it but I remembered being so worried afterward that not enough people would see it or at least not enough to warrant a follow-up. I was soooo extremely happy when it got the green light and now here we are 4 movies later. After seeing the 4th movie, I can still say that JW3 is still my fave but man, I'm so happy for it to be able to finish out on top, always exceeding expectations if this is truly to be the end.

[@shadhinov]

The editor cutting out dialogue is the mvp

[@fell9654]

Given that there is very little respect for stunts and choreography, like there not being any Oscar category for it, it's not surprising the exec types would hate John Wick

[@jaimeerindy4573]

I love the John Wick franchise! One of the only franchise to actually understanding what a sequel needs to do & does it EVERY TIME. Will be really interested to see what they do with the spin off projects

[@teneb3385]

Definitely love the smooth camera. Hate the shaky and too close camera, you can't see the action at all.

[@lauriemhaysom1396]

As it was released by Loins gate not a major studio and alot of films use to go straight to DVD only

[@nelsonreyes2983]

I watched JW1 w/o any presumption that it will be a good movie but simply as a fan of Keanu. After watching this movie, I believed that there will be sequels of this coz the action scenes were so awesome and the audience liked it!

[@Unky69]

my Mom caught John Wick 1 on tv while I was away from home, and when i've returned, she talked bout it for weeks. She really enjoyed it.

[@GoErikTheRed]

To paraphrase Movies with Mikey: every movie that actually gets made is a miracle. It's always amazing just how many tings had to go right for the movie to come out the way it did

[@saviordream]

I remember my wife and I going to see this without having any idea of what it was. I think she had seen one trailer for it, but I didn't even have that. All I knew was it was a story about a guy going on a rampage after his dog was killed. So it was kind of just that we'd heard good things about it, and had a free afternoon one weekend. Needless to say, we were both blown away and have been huge fans of the series ever since.

[@yudhabagaskara98]

No one expected john wick changed the game of action genre at that time

[@Comkill117]

I remember my Dad saw the first film after hearing of it by word of mouth around 2014/5, and like the next day sitting me down to watch it with him. It was amazing, especially for both of us as huge fans of action movies seeing the first nail pretty much everything perfectly. Saw the rest in theaters, including a special showing of 1+2 before the release of 3 as a trilogy, and will say without spoilers that Chapter 4 absolutely lived up to the hype. I can’t imagine what was going through the one exec who left mid movie’s mind because he clearly made a huge mistake there.

[@BungieStudios]

6:56 Exactly what 343i missed when making Halo 4 and Halo 5. Less is more. It signals confidence. When you see the Master Chief, you know everything is going to be alright.

[@dragunov815]

Good stuff.

[@louisamjbirds]

Loved all the John Wick movies. JW 4 blew me away !!!

[@Tyranix97]

Reeves needs to make another Wick Flick. ... One about his car, his girl, and the impossible task.

[@hop-skip-ouch8798]

I found both John Wick and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., while looking through releases list of the year. Somehow not a single ad or trailer recommendation made it through on my yt feed prior to after their release. Always found it weird.

[@Mayor_Of_Eureka17]

I didn't need anything other than the trailer to see it. Solo middle of the day. It banged.

[@kalebgonzales4009]

I just realized that wick’s puppy is a domino effect. From something some or petty, to becoming very huge later on haha!

[@MariaVosa]

Every studio exec that sat through (or left!) the screening of John Wick and didn't give an offer should be out of their job. Honestly, some things you understand why they are an acquired taste - but John Wick!? They must have been blind, because even incompetence should have a limit. Thank you for highlighting what a communal effort this was.

[@mechajay3358]

The behind the scenes of how John Wick got off the ground is just as engaging as the movie itself.