When John Wick hit theaters in 2014, audiences weren’t quite sure what to expect. Keanu Reeves had been promoting his latest action flick for quite some time, and since it had been years since he headlined his own notable action movie (and no, 47 Ronin doesn’t count, folks), we were all pleasantly surprised by the results. Not only was John Wick incredibly stylish, but it was also surprisingly deep considering it centered on a man hell-bent on revenge after the death of his dog. It’s no wonder the 2014 film spawned three Reeves-led sequels, but had the project stuck to its original name, it might never have been an action-packed success story. Titles do matter, and in the case of John Wick, Keanu Reeves’ failure to remember the original name of the picture worked out in the movie’s favor.
What Is the Original ‘John Wick’ About?
If you haven’t seen John Wick, then you’re missing out on one of the best action flicks of the decade. The film follows former hitman John Wick (Reeves) after the passing of his wife, who had gifted her husband a puppy to help him deal with her death. As John begins to deal with the loss, things soon take a wrong turn. Unfortunately, the Wick home is soon broken into by a band of Russian gangsters, who not only steal the 1969 Mustang he had made plenty of memories with his wife in, but they kill his dog as well. It turns out, the young criminal who stole Wick’s car is the son of Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), our hero’s former employer and all-around villain. Given his vast connections in the criminal underworld, and that he’s feared by many of them, Tarasov is a formidable opponent who is not to be trifled with.
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‘John Wick’ inspired its own subgenre of gritty revenge thrillers with strong neo-noir capabilities.
Nevertheless, Wick pursues his revenge and effectively returns to the criminal underworld he fought so hard to escape from. Even though his actions make him even more enemies than ever, Wick takes his revenge the only way he knows how. And boy, is it an explosive mess of stylistic violence that still manages to feel classy and exciting. Reeves re-defines his role in action pictures with the John Wick character, adding a cool calmness to some of the most excessive bits of violence you could imagine. Long gone are the days of shaky-cam fights made popular by The Bourne Identity, as John Wick adds expert layers of well-choreographed action in nearly every scene. It’s beyond impressive what the filmmakers were able to do with this Keanu Reeves-led production. But what was John Wick originally called? Well, you’ll be glad they changed it.
‘John Wick’s Original Title Is a Long-Forgotten Memory, and For Good Reason
In a 2020 interview with Comicbook.com, John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad revealed that the picture was originally called Scorn, but Reeves evidently connected so deeply with his character that he couldn’t remember the screenplay’s five-letter title. Instead, he referred to it only by the name of the leading character. “The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick,” Kolstad explained. “Marketing was like, ‘Dude, that’s four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it’s John Wick instead of Scorn.’ I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.” We can’t either. While Scorn isn’t a bad title for a revenge movie (though it does sound a bit more like a Sylvester Stallone or Dolph Lundgren picture), John Wick offers the film a presence that can only be embodied by an actor like Keanu Reeves. There’s a mystery to it that only adds to the world, and given Wick’s own status within that world, it makes complete sense that he would be at the very center.
Given the name “John Wick” spreads fear throughout the criminal underworld established in the picture, it makes perfect sense that the film itself would rest on the name as its title. Whenever John’s name is spoken by newcomers or those around the Continental, there’s an air of excitement and dread attached to it. Frankly, Scorn doesn’t evoke those same feelings, and it doesn’t do John Wick justice. Scorn may have been the title that got the script to Reeves in the first place, but it’s debatable whether the picture would’ve been as successful in the long run (and certainly once it became a franchise) with such a simple and, well, less memorable title.
Speaking of, Kolstad wrote John Wick and its immediate sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, before screenwriters Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams entered for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. “Parabellum was [director Chad Stahelski‘s idea] and I love it,” the screenwriter explained. By the time John Wick: Chapter 4 (which sadly didn’t get its own subtitle) came around, Kolstad was booted from the project, with Shay Hatten and Michael Finch taking over writing duties moving forward. “At a certain stage the studio will tell you, your creation is graduated, and you wish it well,” the screenwriter told Collider concerning the news. “I’m still close with Chad (Stahelski), still close with David (Leitch), and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m excited to see.” Even without Kolstad involved, the John Wick legend continues.
The John Wick Franchise Continues To Grow Beyond Keanu Reeves
Given the popularity of the John Wick films, it’s not surprising then that the series has grown into a franchise far beyond Derek Kolstad or even Keanu Reeves. After all, the first film revealed that there’s an entire world of assassins and criminal enterprises out there living in the shadows, and even after four John Wick films, it hardly seems as if we’ve scratched the surface of what’s possible. In 2023, Peacock released a three-episode miniseries, The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which further expanded on the strange neo-noir world of hitmen first established in the original. The prequel series, taking place in an alternate history 1970s, follows Ian McShane‘s character Winston Scott (played here by Colin Woodell) in his formative years at the hotel. Mel Gibson also stars as the Continental’s operator, Cormac O’Connor. Beyond that, another John Wick television continuation — titled John Wick: Under the High Table — is currently in the works, though we know very little about that project at all.
There have been plenty of other rumored projects to take place within the John Wick universe, with the next one, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, set to hit theaters in 2025. The film follows a new assassin, Ana de Armas‘ Eve Macarro, as she seeks revenge for her father’s death. Keanu Reeves is set to return as John Wick, as is McShane as Winston Scott and Lance Reddick as Charon in one of the actor’s final on-screen appearances before his death. As it stands now, the John Wick franchise continues to grow, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Ballerina takes place between the third film Parabellum and Chapter 4 in the flagship film series. Had John Wick been called Scorn instead, the movie might not have received the marketing boost that it needed in order to become a sure-fire hit. Though the original 2014 picture is arguably still the best of the bunch, the sequels have continued to live up to the name, as has Reeves himself, who is the best the action genre currently has to offer.
John Wick is available to watch on Pluto TV in the U.S.
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An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
- Release Date
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October 24, 2014
- Runtime
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101 Minutes
- Writers
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Derek Kolstad
- Studio
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