Summary
Seemingly out of thin air, theJohn Wickfranchise appeared one day and launched the most successful original film series of the past decade. The man most directly responsible for its success (outside of Keanu Reeves himself) has been doing the rounds withBallerina’s release this weekend, and he’s had quite a bit to say.
On a scant budget of around $20-30 million, 2014’sJohn Wickbecame a moderate hit at the box office, bringing in $86 million worldwide. One of the co-directors on that film, David Leitch, went on to directAtomic Blonde,Deadpool 2, andHobbs & Shaw, among others. The other co-director,Chad Stahelski, stuck around in the director’s chair for the second, third, and fourthJohn Wickfilms, with each subsequent sequel earning more and more money.Stahelski also helped helm the lengthy reshootsfor the upcomingBallerinaand was granted “creative oversight” of the entireJohn Wickfranchise by rights holder Lionsgate Films. Stahelski has been doing plenty of interviews lately, and the man knows how to give a quotable line.
Stahelski recently sat down for an entry inThe Hollywood Reporter‘s Titan interview series and, to be frank, the man just seems like a great interviewee. The conversation included plenty of interesting tidbits about working with (and sometimes against) studio higher-ups and figuring out how to use his chaotic process to the best of his ability.“So many movies look the same because their process is the same,“Stahelski explained.“You have to ask, ‘Why?’ ‘Because they do X, Y, X.’ ‘Well, then f**k X, Y, Z.’ And we have done that in every department for five films now. It does frustrate people.“Whatever Stahelski and the people he trusts do to ruffle feathers clearly works becauseJohn Wickhas become a profitable and beloved action franchise over the past eleven years.
“It used to come down to me being a big enough ahole but, sometimes, the ahole route doesn’t work. So now I’m a lot more patient. I go: ‘Listen, this idea could go south, it’s super weird, just give me two weeks with my stunt team and then watch a video.’ Later they’re like, ‘Oh, that looks cool.’ Then everybody takes credit for everything. But nobody thinks half our ideas are going to work.”
Stahelski’s working style may not be the norm, but it’s working for him andLionsgate… even if it causes headaches from time to time.“My process is f**ked. It’s so not linear. I still get told how to write scripts. ‘You can’t do it that way.’ Says who? The guys who suck? I had an argument today with somebody saying, ‘That’s not how you put a set-piece together.'“What it all comes down to is that Stahelski and his trusted team have a way of working on films that does not jibe with the traditional way of doing things.
The frenetic, “gun-fu” style of theJohn Wickfilmsbucks traditional action conventions anyway. Bulletproof suits? A blind assassin who can block bullets with a sword? These kinds of ideas would be laughed off the screen in other, lesser movies. Alas, Stahelski’sJohn Wickfilms have enough expert choreography and grounded fight scenes that give their unique world an air of realism despite being over-the-top and ridiculous.
In combiningbombastic action set pieceswith the likes of classic kung-fu films, anime stylings, and spaghetti western flare, Stahelski has created a look all his own. Who cares if the process is a bit wild? If theJohn Wickfilms continue to be as good as they’ve been, nothing else matters.
