“Honestly, when you think of any great action hero or any great hero out there or great character actor, you kind of transcend the character. You just don't love the character, you love the guy. In any of the great action stars, you see the guy doing the work.” ThinkingKindCharacterActionGuyActorsStarsHeroHonestlyGreat CharacterCharacter ActorsAction HeroesGreat Hero Author:Chad Stahelski
“I have a very strong belief in what I like, or a very strong opinion in genre films that I like to watch.” FilmBeliefStrongOpinionWatchesGenreVery StrongStrong Opinions Author:Chad Stahelski
“I'm an audience member too, man. I hate shitty sequels.” MenHateAudienceMembersI HateSequels Author:Chad Stahelski
“I think we're all kind of alike when you do your first film. You have great hopes, but you don't hope too much.” ThinkingFirstsKindFilmToo MuchAll KindsGreat Hope Author:Chad Stahelski
“Character imperfection is the important thing to keep them from being superheroes.” ImportantCharacterImportant ThingsImperfectionSuperhero Author:Chad Stahelski
“I think what we want to do is - when we choreograph, when we design choreography, we try to take it from a character standpoint first. Obviously you write a script and it's like, a Jason Bourne or a John Wick or something like that, you don't start choreographing double twisting wire moves and backflips, or doing the splits. You try to keep it so it fits the character, or the tone of the film.” ThinkingWantWritingTryingFirstsCharacterFilmMovingDesignFitScriptsToneSplitsWireStandpointJasonChoreographyBourneBackflips Author:Chad Stahelski
“With John Wick we wanted to do something like that. So rather than punching, kicks - and for the kind of way we wanted to shoot it, which is longer takes - our initial instinct was let's go with a throwing or grappling arm.” WayKindWantedArmsInstinctKicksThrowingInitialsPunchingGrappling Author:Chad Stahelski
“We're under Rigan Machado, who I think is one of the best jiu jitsu instructors at least in Los Angeles, if not in the world. We have a lot of his instructors here, as well as Japanese jiu jitsu, Japanese judo, and sambo. That was Keanu's [Reeves] recipe [in John Wick 2].” IfsThinkingWorldWellsLos AngelesRecipesInstructorsJudoJiu Jitsu Author:Chad Stahelski
“I spent a lot of time with both [Laurence Fishburn and Keanu Reeves], obviously, on the Matrix trilogy. Worked a lot, on a day-to-day level, with Laurence Fishburne. And then we'd bumped into each other through the film community for years and years.” YearsFilmCommunityLevelsDay To DayTrilogies Author:Chad Stahelski
“Keanu and I were in New York, I was prepping John Wick 2. And when Keanu [Reeves], [writer] Derek Kolstad, and myself sat down and wrote the character, it was completely, one hundred percent based on Laurence Fishburne. Like, in my head I saw this guy.” CharacterGuySawsNew YorkPercentHundredDown AndSatThis Guy Author:Chad Stahelski
“When I first met Laurence I was Keanu's [Reeves] stunt double on the first Matrix. So, a little evolution there with career status. But then cut to the thirteen/fourteen years later where now I'm asking Laurence Fishburne to trust my directorial capacity [in John Wick 2].” YearsFirstsLittlesCareersCuttingEvolutionMetsCapacityAskingFourteenThirteen Author:Chad Stahelski
“I consider Laurence [Fishburn], Keanu [Reeves], both very acclaimed actors, I mean so good.” MeanActors Author:Chad Stahelski
“Laurence [Fishburn] helped redo some of the dialogue [in John Wick 2], he and Keanu [Reeves] workshopped it. And he couldn't have been more respectful couldn't have been more brilliant on set. I said, "look, I'm gonna have to work you a little bit here cause I only get you for three days." He never left set, was always engaging, always working on his lines, it was awesome.” LooksLittlesHas BeensSaidThreeLeftCausesBitsLinesLittle BitBrilliantDialogueEngagingRespectfulAlways WorkingRedos Author:Chad Stahelski
“Laurence [Fishburne] is a great example of how to communicate to the audience as you're acting with another actor.” ActorsActingAudienceExampleCommunicate Author:Chad Stahelski
“In fact rules are more important in our underworld than they are to the regular citizen who works within them.” ImportantFactsCitizensUnderworld Author:Chad Stahelski
