The first John Wick movie hinges on an important scene in which Wick’s puppy is killed, thrusting him back into the life of an assassin. According to the directors of the film, however, that scene had to be fought for.
Speaking to Business Insider, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch — the latter of whom was uncredited but did co-direct — revealed that initially, the studios behind the film were hesitant on keeping the death of the dog in the movie, citing it as “bad luck.”
John Wick directors explained why they wanted the dog death scene
“We were told, ‘It’s bad luck.’ ‘It’s bad juju.’ ‘It’s Old Yeller, you can’t do this!’ “No one will want to see this on screen; you’re going to alienate the audience,'” said Letich. “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?’
“They didn’t understand that we were making a genre movie. We are genre fans to the core, and we know those hard-boiled moments are what make memorable moments.”
Stahelski added that, on the day of the scene being filmed, the pair must’ve looked like complete amateurs. However, he credits star Keanu Reeves for fighting for the moment, and said eventually the argument was done.
“So on the day, Keanu was acting with a stuffed dog. Crying. He’s all beat up. He looks awful in his pajamas. Everyone behind the monitors must have thought, ‘Okay, this is the worst idea; these first-time directors are done.’ For the next couple of weeks it was suggested that we shoot an alternative ending revealing that the puppy actually isn’t dead. But Keanu stood up for us. And Basil stood up to the investors, and eventually, they just felt, ‘F–k it, let’s see what these guys can do.'”
Obviously, history has proven the pair right, as the scene involving Wick’s dog being killed not only makes the movie much more emotional, but connects the audience with Wick as well.
The original John Wick was released way back in 2014, but is set to be re-released this year in theaters, with special screenings taking place on November 3 and 6, respectively.
(Source: Business Insider)
Originally reported by Anthony Nash on ComingSoon.
