John Wick Director Chad Stahelski Says The Various Stunt Teams Add A Bit Of Flavor To The Choreography

Chad Stahelski got his start as a stunt performer known for bringing his death-defying work to films like "Escape from L.A." and "The Matrix" (via IMDb). "After 'The Matrix,' I went from an average stunt guy to one of the biggest choreographers in the business," he told Vulture in 2019. "I started a company that deals specifically with martial-arts choreography."

Nowadays, Stahelski is best known as the director of the "John Wick" franchise, but he hasn't forgotten his roots in stunt work. Indeed, the "John Wick" films have been lauded for their creative, eye-popping fight sequences, and it seems like with each successive movie, those scenes — and the resulting body count — only get bigger and better. With "John Wick: Chapter 4" on the horizon, fans are looking forward to the dog-loving, vengeful assassin's most exciting and expertly choreographed brawls to date.

In an interview with Collider, Chad Stahelski credited a diverse slate of stunt teams with setting the fourth "John Wick" installment apart from its forebears. "We were fortunate enough to land some very interesting stunt teams from all over the world," Stahelski said of the movie, which was filmed in New York, Berlin, Osaka, and Paris. "Each stunt team from the different countries–the Japanese stunt team, the French stunt team, the Bulgarian stunt team — they all have a little bit of flavor of motion, I think, that helps change the set pieces as well."

For Stahelski, bringing in a multiplicity of combat styles allows the franchise to avoid stagnancy. "When you get all these different experts and different martial arts, it forces us to adapt the choreography to show different things."

Stahelski also teased the stunt performance of star Keanu Reeves, the centerpiece of the film's action sequences. "Keanu's got some new skill sets, which is good," said the director of his preparation for "John Wick: Chapter 4." "He's got some new props, which are great." If anyone has shown reverence for the franchise's stunt team, it's Reeves, who gifted the upcoming movie's stunt team personalized Rolex watches.

"John Wick: Chapter 4" hits theaters on March 24, 2023.