A bloody good time was had by all when John Wick: Chapter 4 hit theaters back in March, but before its release, the film’s director Chad Stahelski filled us in about the thrilling set pieces we can find in the sequel. In an exclusive interview with Collider’s Steven Weintraub last year, Stahelski told us about the scene shot at the Louvre Museum in Paris, which meant Keanu Reeves’ assassin would be delivering vengeance all around the globe.
In John Wick 4’s trailer, we spotted a scene shot close to the Arc de Triomphe, one of the main touristic attractions in the French capital. So, when we had the opportunity to sit down with Stahelski and talk about the sequel, we asked how he felt about shooting in one of the most crowded attractions in the whole world. As Stahelski puts it:
"I would say the greatest word would be tricky, very tricky. Obviously, we do what we can where we're at, and then we try to movie-magic our way through some of the trickier stuff. But we had an amazing location diversity on the scout from Sacré Coeur, to Arc de Triomphe, to the Louvre, to the Eiffel Tower, to some amazing places throughout. I mean we were in Aqaba, Jordan for our opening sequence. Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Osaka. We got around on this one. So hopefully, we brought all that great imagery to screen.”
During the interview, Stahelski also revealed he couldn’t bring the franchise’s chaotic energy to the Louvre, as it was impossible to shoot a big action scene there. When checking the possibility of making a scene at the Louvre, Stahelski remembers the people in charge were worried about the possible mayhem. The director said, “They laughed, ‘You're not going to shoot anything, are you?’ I was like, ‘I don't know. Can I?’ And I was like, ‘Just kidding. We just want to shoot in the Louvre.’" Their time at the Louvre wasn’t wasted, however, as a pivotal scene takes place there where Ian McShane’s Winston negotiates John’s official duel challenge to Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis de Gramont against the stunning backdrop of the museum’s unparalleled collection of 19th-century French paintings.
Even without the action, Stahelski was certain fans would love what happens at the Louvre. As he described the scene:
“Let's just say we shot a really cool scene in the Louvre. They got a little - you start shooting and blowing shit up next to a Caravaggio they get a little edgy. But no, they were wonderful. They let us come in and do a great scene there.”
Who’s Involved in John Wick: Chapter 4?
John Wick 4 is the first movie in the franchise not to be written by Derek Kolstad, a decision that didn’t come from the screenwriter. Stahelski, however, came back to helm the sequel after co-directing the first film with David Leitch and taking complete control of the second and third installments. Stahelski directed from a script by Army of the Dead's Shay Hatten and American Assassin's Michael Finch. A fifth film is currently in development alongside the spinoff film Ballerina and TV series The Continental among other projects, meaning more stunning locales and more gun-fu action are still to come.
John Wick 4 also saw the return of the late Lance Reddick's Charon opposite McShane. Martial legend Donnie Yen was also involved in the film and played Caine, an old friend of Wick who shares the same history and enemies as the titular assassin. Rounding up the cast were Shamier Anderson (Tenet), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Scott Adkins (Doctor Strange), and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption).
John Wick: Chapter 4 is available on demand now with a streaming date to come on Peacock. Check out the movie’s synopsis and our chat with Reeves and Stahelski below and look for more in our exclusive interview with Stahelski.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.