Chad Stahelski

2023 - 3 - 25

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

How director Chad Stahelski went from doubling Keanu to building ... (Los Angeles Times)

Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski on Keanu Reeves, 'John Wick 4' and the future of the franchise.

“You rode your bicycle, went to the woods and you had a stick,” Stahelski said with a smile. He’s attached to several non-”Wick” features and is an executive producer on the upcoming That spark is what Stahelski is chasing even as “John Wick 4” is set to open to the best reviews of the franchise. I try to steal from the best and see what I can put my spin on. “I was traveling to the Philippines, to Hong Kong, all over the United States ... Reeves trained nine months out in various skill sets to prepare for the shoot’s 14 set pieces and is a movie star uniquely adept at certain stunts, Stahelski beams — but performing them under pressure adds extra risk factors. Then again, he owes his career to the obsessions that enraptured him as a child growing up in Palmer, Mass., where his curiosity for martial arts began with Confident and unshowy, Stahelski speaks with a self-described brutal honesty borne of decades in the stunt world, where straight talk is a necessity of the job. I can’t unpack or take apart the tapestry and pick a thread. With each installment, Stahelski has scaled the action up to more operatic and physically demanding heights, and his “John Wick 4” scenes in particular are exquisitely wrought spectacles of carnage turned all the way up to 11. The third one is the first time I asked, ‘What’s me?’ And the fourth is probably the closest I’ve gotten so far.” “I’ve used the ‘John Wicks’ as a comfort zone to really explore who I am,” Stahelski told The Times.

'John Wick's Chad Stahelski Q&A On Ending The Franchise, Oscars ... (Deadline)

Read a Q&A with 'John Wick' director Chad Stahelski, where he talks about ending the Keanu Reeves franchise and pressing for stunts categories at the ...

I love the idea of a code of honor, chivalty and all that stuff, and the way this twists those thematics around. It certainly would be a way to work in the big commercial tentpoles, which is the domain of stunt people. Or, they’ll only pay for like three stunt guys to do the rehearsals and then on the day they’ll bring in the local stunt guys to save money. “You have 10 million for wardrobe, you got this for that, you got 10 million for that.” And I’m like, “Can you just give me the money?” They are like, “We’re gonna tell you where to spend it.” I say, “So you got people that don’t make the movies telling you where to spend the money on your movie?” The stunt guys are shooting the pre-vis and all this stuff, but the actual camera guys and the actual cinematographer don’t. Do you feel that when you get up in the morning, and what do you do with Keanu? “Well, that’s the way we do it, that’s the way it’s done.” We’re like, “All right, but what if we didn’t do it that way? There’s a love of what he does, a love of the suffering to get to what he does there. We’ll say, “This is where Marco is gonna kick Wick in the chest, and into the side of the van.” And he’s like, “All right, pad me up.” He wants to do what’s best for the shot, what’s best for the movie. I’m a big fan of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. STAHELSKI: I did the first Matrix, and I was a stunt double on 2 and 3. He’s like, “You know what?” We were in Japan at the time and we were talking about this whole samurai vibe, and some of these treatises I was reading.

'John Wick: Chapter 4' Director Says Oscars Should Recognize Stunts (IndieWire)

"John Wick: Chapter 4" director Chad Stahelski made the case for the Academy Awards to nominate stuntpeople.

I am happy to be a [representative for the stunt community](https://www.indiewire.com/influencers/john-wick-stunt-coordinators-chad-stahelski-david-leitch/) among other great people in it, to sit down with the Academy and go, OK, we’re all on the same page. [safety](https://www.indiewire.com/2023/03/john-wick-4-running-time-explanation-1234821079/). [The stunt guys don’t know the answer](https://www.indiewire.com/2018/04/helen-mirren-stunt-performers-oscars-1201948232/). [couple great car hits](https://www.indiewire.com/2023/03/john-wick-4-keanu-reeves-cut-open-stuntman-head-1234822553/). I have Jeremy Arenas, a [choreographer](https://www.indiewire.com/2023/03/john-wick-4-action-sequences-musicals-interview-1234821340/) that puts all these great moves together. But I have faith that if all the smart people at the Academy and all our smart people sit down at a table, we can figure it out and make it happen. I think if I went to the Academy right now and asked, ‘Are there any of you who think stunts shouldn’t be in the [Oscars](https://www.indiewire.com/t/oscars/)? There’s not a single arguable reason not to have stunts in the Academy Awards. “Say we win the Oscar for Best Stunt,” he said. The problem is no one’s having the conversation.” In fact, Stahelski argued that the Academy has never even “considered” recognizing stunts. “So you see the fundamental problem here.

John Wick's Chad Stahelski says "It's time" for stunt performers to get ... (The A.V. Club)

Stahelski, who came up as Keanu Reeves' stunt double in The Matrix, says it's time to have a conversation about an Oscar for stunt work.

He’ll look at something and go, ‘No’…He wants to do what’s best for the shot, what’s best for the movie.” (Name-dropping basically the entirety of the John Wick stunt team in the process, because you had best believe Chad Stahelski knows his stunt team’s names.) But he’s also unequivocal about feeling that his peers deserve recognition for the hard, dangerous work they do. [for years now](https://www.avclub.com/let-s-hear-it-for-the-stunt-guy-11-new-categories-the-1798277148), about the fact that there’s no dedicated Academy Award for stunt work.

'John Wick' director Chad Stahelski talks friendship with 'older ... (Yahoo! Voices)

"John Wick" director Chad Stahelski is opening up about his friendship with Keanu Reeves, who he said has been like an "older brother" to him.

John Wick: Chapter 4 Director Advocates For Best Stunt Category at ... (Comicbook.com)

The 95th Annual Academy Awards took place earlier this month, and many of 2022's biggest movies took home some exciting prizes. Throughout the awards' many ...

Have you ever talked to anyone in the Academy about it or talked to anyone in the stunt world who has talked to the Academy about this?" So are you giving the award for Best Stunt or Best Stunt Sequence, or Best Stunt Constant? I am happy to be a representative for the stunt community among other great people in it, to sit down with the academy and go, okay, we're all on the same page. And I guarantee you the Academy doesn't either. There's not a single arguable reason not to have stunts in the Academy Awards. The stunt people work very hard, and there have been many films that have deserved recognization from the Academy.

Laurence Fishburne is having a ball in the John Wick franchise (Black Hills Pioneer)

The 61-year-old actor reprises his role as The Bowery King in 'John Wick: Chapter 4' and believes that the role gets the best from him as an actor. Laurence ...