Keanu Reeves is easily one of Hollywood’s best action heroes today thanks to films like The Matrix and of course, his John Wick series. While the action sequences we see on our screens seem so effortless, did you ever stop to think for a second about what goes on behind the scenes?
One incredible moment from Keanu Reeves’ John Wick films takes place when the titular character is on the way to the Continental on his bike when he is attacked by Zero and the sword-wielding assassins. While John Wick defeating them all looked like child’s play, the behind-the-scenes footage reveals just how much strategy and dedication go into filming such scenes.
Behind the Scenes of John Wick 3 Bike Fight Scene
In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Keanu Reeves’ John Wick is on his way back to New York when he is greeted by multiple sword-wielding assassins out for blood. What follows is one of the most intense action sequences in the entire franchise.
However, if there is anything that can be as intriguing as the scene itself it is how it was shot. In the behind-the-scenes footage of the popular scene, Reeves and the other actors can be seen filming in front of a green screen. People in chroma key suits, also known as Greenman suits, pushed the actors’ bikes on platforms to give the illusion of them driving.
The actors did an incredible job pretending to be in a high-speed chase on a bridge so much so that no one would have known this was all green screen if not for this footage. Not to mention the work put in by the cameraman to take the perfect shots while all of this was happening.
Needless to say, fans were totally impressed after seeing the footage and this is what they had to say about it:
Cameraman is a GOD!
— OwlCity ᕽ #MultiversX ᕽ #TheInevitables (@OwlCitizensX) June 25, 2024
That's intense. Keanu's great he can do all of that 👏
— Pavel Navrátil (@palnavratil) June 25, 2024
You've got to hand it to Keanu—he really does do it all himself.
— TAI Deals (@dealsbytai) June 25, 2024
Keanu Reeves may be the best live action actor of our time. Including Tom Cruise.
— Athens Steve (@rainy_steve) June 25, 2024
More behind the scenes clips need to go viral. People need to understand that these things are carefully planned and executed by professionals. Hopefully that prevents more people from attempting to do some of the life ending stunts because they saw someone do it in a movie scene
— Ayọ̀ OG (@ay0tund3) June 25, 2024
Clearly, we have a newfound respect for Reeves and every other action actor who knows how to give the perfect shot despite being in front of a green screen.
The Bike Scene was Rehearsed Four Times
It goes without saying that pulling something like this off is no easy task and only the professionals know how much hard work goes into it all. Talking about the rehearsals for the scene, the film’s visual effects supervisor Rob Nederhorst stated, “That sequence was rehearsed four times before it was actually photographed for real. It was a crazy amount of work.” (via Befores and Afters)
Before the scene could be shot in front of a green screen, the choreography was practiced in a stunt space at a warehouse by using a free-floating camera. This was done to test out the movement of the bikes.
While rehearsing, Nederhorst found the markings identifying the bridge lanes and lane lines to be a little off. He asked if they were accurate in comparison to the actual Verrazano Bridge, which is seen in the film.
Nederhorst stated,
Something didn’t feel right. I said, ‘Hey guys, how wide are these lane lines?’ They told me the number and I said, ‘Is that what the actual Verrazano Bridge lane lines are? Have you measured them?’ They thought these things were all standard, but I said I needed to send someone over there to the bridge to check.
Then, he sent supervisor John Ashby to take the exact measurements of the bridge and they found out that the values they had initially been given were wrong.
This is only a fraction of the attention given to the almost three-minute scene. There was a lot more that went on behind the scenes to give fans the perfect final product.
You can stream John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum on Peacock Premium.
