“I’m very proud of that”: John Wick 4 Relied on a Real King to Nail Keanu Reeves’ Epic Sequence

The opening scene of John Wick: Chapter 4 wasn't made with CGI!

SUMMARY

  • John Wick: Chapter 4 featured an opening sequence in the Jordanian desert with Mr. Wick riding a horse and killing his enemies.
  • The director, Chad Stahelski, revealed that there was no CGI used for these shots and they had help from a certain king!
  • Chad Stahelski further talked about how there couldn't be a happy ending for Keanu Reeves' John Wick!
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Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 4 is easily one of the finest action movies ever made. With Mr. Wick on the run and wanting to revolt against the High Table, the stakes are as high as any John Wick film. This time, however, both Mr. Wick and Keanu Reeves had a little help.

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In the opening sequence of the film featuring the Jordanian desert, the Middle Eastern sun hung lazily over the horizon. As Wick races on a horse and hunts down his rivals, director Chad Stahelski revealed that the scene wasn’t animation or CGI and that they had a little help from a certain king!

Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4

Keanu Reeves And Chad Stahelski Had a Little Help From a King!

Shooting in the Jordanian desert, many people thought that the opening sequence of John Wick: Chapter 4 was CGI. Turns out, director Chad Stahelski revealed that it wasn’t CGI at all and that they had shot the scenes on the actual location!

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The opening sequence of John Wick: Chapter 4
The opening sequence of John Wick: Chapter 4

Also read: “I don’t regret it at all”: John Wick Director Gave Lionsgate a Major Headache With One Crucial Keanu Reeves Scene That Almost Backfired Badly

In a watch-along episode with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, the director revealed some interesting things about the 2023 movie. Stating that they had not used CGI during the opening scenes, Chad Stahelski revealed that Keanu Reeves’ Mr. Wick had help from a certain king to shoot an iconic scene!

“That is an actual sunrise in the Jordanian desert outside of Aqaba and Wadi Rum, so that’s not digital. I’m very proud of that. The King of Jordan lent us a helicopter to go out in the middle of the desert to get this sunrise shot.”

Although the director loves the character of John Wick, Stahelski seemed to mention that a sad ending was in fate for the character. In an early interview when the fourth film hadn’t even been released, Chad Stahelski mentioned that Mr. Wick cannot just walk away from the bloodbath that he has created!

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Suggested: “John Wick is based on his life”: Keanu Reeves’ Mesmerizing Skills with the Gun Make Fans Believe He Was Born to Play the Iconic Boogeyman

Chad Stahelski Wants A Sad Ending For John Wick

Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves
Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves on the set of John Wick

Related: Studio Confirms John Wick 5 Script Work Has Already Begun as Fans Get Ready For Keanu Reeves’ Return

Long before the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 showed us the alleged grave of John Wick, director Chad Stahelski already had a notion of the ending that he wanted. During an interview with IndieWire, the director secured Wick’s future by guaranteeing the people that he could not just walk off from the massacre!

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“John may survive all this shit but at the end of it, there’s no happy ending. He’s got nowhere to go. Honestly, I challenge you right now, here’s a question for you: How do you f*cking want me to end it? Do you think he’s going to ride off into the f*cking sunset?”

He further continued,

“He’s killed 300 f*cking people and he’s just going to [walk away], everything’s okay? He’s just going to fall in love with a love interest?”

Although the fourth film in the franchise showcased the grave of John Wick, people are pretty sure that he is okay and just wants to cool off for a while. As for John Wick 5, the film is confirmed to be in development but no details are available. The 2023 film is available to stream on Starz in the U.S.

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Written by Visarg Acharya

Articles Published: 2100

Visarg Acharya, Associate Content Writer, has been heavily involved in movies, series, and history. Having an experience of 2 years in the field of content writing, Visarg is a seasoned writer. Having a degree in Physics, Visarg Acharya has published a dissertation alongside a plethora of poems and short stories along the way.