This One Mistake By Keanu Reeves Saved John Wick From Aging Terribly

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This One Mistake By Keanu Reeves Saved John Wick From Aging Terribly

Key Takeaways

  • Keanu Reeves accidentally named John Wick, giving the film free promotion and ultimately saving the franchise.
  • Reeves’ influence on John Wick went beyond the title change, connecting the script to the right directors.
  • The name Scorn doesn’t fit the iconic hitman character, making John Wick essential to the franchise’s success.

As a die-hard fan of action cinema, I can confidently say that Keanu Reeves is the modern-day Midas, turning everything he touches into gold – or rather, box office gold. The story of how he accidentally (or intentionally, who knows?) named John Wick himself is just another testament to his extraordinary influence on the film industry.

In a different phrasing, we can say: John Wick could be rescued by anyone, but it was only Keanu Reeves who had the ability to save John Wick himself. This Canadian legend possesses an uncanny knack for being correct even when he’s seemingly wrong, and one of his supposed errors proved instrumental in rescuing the hitman series from potential ruin, offering more benefits than initially perceived.

In honor of the 10th anniversary re-release of the 2014 film, the “John Wick” universe has grown significantly over the years with three sequels, a TV series spinoff, and an upcoming project called “Ballerina”. This success story would not have been possible without Keanu Reeves’ influence. An unexpected mistake even contributed to naming this legendary action franchise.

How Keanu Reeves Gave John Wick Its Title

This One Mistake By Keanu Reeves Saved John Wick From Aging Terribly

It might surprise you to know that the character we now know as John Wick wasn’t always named that way in the original script. Although his name stayed consistent, the initial title of the movie was different. Screenwriter Derek Kolstad had originally titled his spec script “Scorn,” a name that certainly doesn’t convey the same level of intensity. In an interview with The Action Elite in 2012, Kolstad disclosed this early title, which was chosen before Keanu Reeves came on board to bring the film to life. Once he signed up for the project, he played a significant role in shaping the movie, even collaborating with Kolstad to refine the screenplay and storyline.

In an unplanned yet significant manner, Keanu Reeves contributed to the franchise off-camera by frequently referring to the film as “John Wick” instead of its tentative title, “Scorn,” during interviews and public discussions. Over time, this error became a permanent change and ultimately gave both the film and the series their names. In an interview with Comicbook.com about John Wick: Chapter 4 in 2020, writer Derek Kolstad confirmed this bit of trivia to be accurate.

The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick.

Keanu’s Slip Made John Wick More Popular

The unintentional comment by Keanu about the movie didn’t just affect its appearance; it also significantly helped the project in a practical sense. Despite being a successful global franchise today with action-packed sequences, the initial John Wick film faced challenges in securing buyers, making every penny spent during production crucial. Therefore, when Keanu referred to the film as “John Wick” during interviews, it effectively promoted the project due to his celebrity status, sparing the team from having to devise a marketing strategy. This was noted by Kolstad in the same 2020 interview.

In simpler terms, the marketing team said something like, “That’s around four to five million dollars worth of free promotion we’ve had, so we’re going with ‘John Wick’ instead of ‘Scorn’. It’s hard to picture it as anything else now.

Keanu Reeves played a significant role in the creation of the John Wick series that extended beyond merely inspiring the title change. He was the one who passed the script to Chad Stahelski, the director of all four films, and David Leitch, who co-directed the first film and later wrote for the sequels. They had worked together in the Matrix trilogy as stunt coordinators. In essence, it’s likely that contemporary action cinema would have a distinctly different style and choreography if not for Keanu ensuring the script fell into the right pair of hands.

What Makes Scorn A Bad Title

Reflecting on it now, it’s tough to conceive of the John Wick phenomenon under a different moniker, especially something as ordinary as Scorn. Granted, Scorn isn’t inherently bad for a movie about a retired assassin who is compelled to return to action following his dog’s demise. However, it seems that my personal bias comes into play here, because it lacks the resonance of a billion-dollar franchise destined to revolutionize the action genre. In actuality, the term “John Wick-like” is commonly used today to describe modern films characterized by high-octane stunts or intense fight sequences, making it difficult to envision any other suitable title for this series.

Changing the title from “Scorn” to “John Wick” is similar to how Samuel L. Jackson changed “Pacific Air Flight 121” to “Snakes on a Plane.” The original titles don’t quite capture the essence of the movie – they seem more like thematic titles rather than reflecting the main character, who is a deadly black-suited assassin. Titles such as “Boogeyman” or “Baba Yaga” could also work, but they are better suited as aliases or nicknames for the hitman. Additionally, “Scorn” brings to mind low-budget B-movies like Liam Neeson’s “Taken,” or even Michael Scarn, the comically inept secret agent from “The Office.

Some fans of the movie John Wick appreciate this intriguing detail about the title, while others think it wasn’t an accident, but a strategic decision by Keanu Reeves, who had no issue recalling the title and opted to make this change to prevent the title from becoming outdated. Instead of causing a fuss like others might have done, Hollywood’s beloved Mr. Nice Guy took a unique approach and made improvements. In essence, the appeal of John Wick lies in its straightforwardness, and it warranted a name that was sleek and stylish, much like Reeves’ character, who doesn’t say much and allows his actions, whether they be with guns, pencils, or hands, to convey his message.

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2024-10-04 04:03