Chad Stahelski, the director of John Wick, revealed that they filmed a different ending for ‘John Wick: Chapter 4‘ where John Wick was shown at the end, making it clear that he was alive. However, after testing with audiences, they found that people actually preferred the more ambiguous ending.
John Wick Director Reveals Alternate Ending, Audience Prefers Ambiguous Ending
Speaking to Empire, Stahelski said, “We had a different ending.” Stahelski added, “The theatrical ending was the ending Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending.“
Stahelski continues, “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.“
Director Chad Stahelski admits they were unsatisfied with the series’ ending and wanted to do better. Over drinks, they decided John Wick had to die in a meaningful way, inspired by samurai principles. They wrote the movie backward from that idea. “I said, ‘I’d be pissed if that’s how they ended the whole series. I’d be pissed at the director,’” says Stahelski. “And I had just read this treatise on samurai etiquette called Hagakure, the art of the way of dying. And we’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s got to die. And we’ve got to come up with the coolest way to make it happen.”
What happens to John Wick in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’?
In John Wick: Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick will die at the end of the film. Caine and John want to deal with a two-person pistol duel. Caine shot John on his shoulder the first time, a second round on his hand, and a third on his stomach. John was badly injured and fell down. The final shot was taken by Marquis Vincent de Gramont from Caine. When going to take his shot, John, who hadn’t taken his third shot on Caine, will take on de Gramont. With a severe injury, John will die after getting his freedom from the High Table.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. The film also stars Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, and Ian McShane. Read our review.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is available for rent or purchase through video-on-demand (VOD) platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and iTunes on May 23, 2023. It is also ready to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.
With the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, the John Wick franchise has officially passed $1 billion worldwide. Chapter 4 has grossed $426.2 million worldwide. Two spin-offs are currently in production. The first is a limited series titled “The Continental: From the World of John Wick,” which is set to be released on September 22, 2023. The second spin-off is a film called “Ballerina,” scheduled to be released on June 7, 2024.
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