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‘John Wick’ Director Faced Criticism
The financiers of “John Wick” found Keanu Reeves’ beard to be a touchy topic. The franchise directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch disclosed that the supporters of their action classic had an uncommon aversion to facial hair.
Chad Stahelski Stated in Interview
In an interview with Business Insider about the 10th anniversary of the 2014 movie, Stahelski remembered the “John Wick” team facing criticism for wanting Reeves’ character to sport a beard.
“We felt you can’t fire us, so first day of shooting, we had Keanu in the beard, and later that week, when they watched the dailies, with cinematographer Jonathan Sela’s now-famous half-light shots, people fucking loved it,” Stahelski expressed.
What was the reason for their opposition? Exhausted individual. Leitch mentioned that they were told the traditional studio rule is that Reeves must shave for international viewers.
“We wanted to do something cool with Keanu,” Stahelski stated. “But the money people, they wanted to see Keanu fucking Reeves. ‘Point Break’ Keanu, ‘Speed’ Keanu. And I don’t know if this exists anymore, but at the time we were told by the powers that be you don’t cover up your leading man’s face with a beard.”
He further mentioned that the original movie was “trying to do a modern-day Greek mythology fantasy movie” that was decidedly “not mainstream,” and the beard was part of that.
Leitch Statement
“I don’t want to get into it, but since then I have had contentious conversations about stars having facial hair,” Leitch stated.
Financiers of “John Wick” were also hesitant about Reeves’ beard as an onscreen accessory. Leitch and Stahelski also mentioned that they were forbidden from harming Wick’s dog.
“We were told, ‘It’s bad luck.’ ‘It’s bad juju.’ ‘It’s ‘Old Yeller,’ you can’t do this!’” Leitch said. “‘No one will want to see this on screen; you’re going to alienate the audience.’ And I’m like, ‘We’re going to execute people at close range; killing the dog is one thing, but what about the brutal massacre of all these human beings? Are they going to be able to accept that?’”
According to Leitch, there were individuals who simply failed to grasp that the intention was to create a genre film filled with impactful, tough moments, particularly John Wick seeking vengeance after his dog was killed.
Furthermore, it was highly recommended that they take an even more drastic measure than shaving Reeves’ beard: filming a different ending where the dog survives.
“For the next couple of weeks it was suggested that we shoot an alternative ending revealing that the puppy actually isn’t dead,” Stahelski said. “But Keanu stood up for us. Eventually, they just felt, ‘Fuck it, let’s see what these guys can do.’”
Stahelski and Leitch were proven correct. The franchise of Wick movies has been highly profitable for Lionsgate recently, with “John Wick 4” earning $440 million globally. During the upcoming summer, Reeves is set to come back in the spinoff movie “Ballerina” featuring Ana de Armas, set between the third and fourth films.
