STACK #224 June 2023

MOVIE FEATURE

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The passing of actor Lance Reddick was a shock to the industry and public alike. The consummate performer was a beacon of light on any project he was involved with, and the fact that he's best known to people from all different titles is a testament to his charm and searing screen presence. Whether you know him as Charon from the John Wick movies, detective Johnny Basil from Oz , Chief Irvin Irving in Bosch , or Cedric Daniels in The Wire (amongst his many other roles), there's no denying the immense legacy that he has left behind, and the indelible imprint he has left on film and television. Prior to becoming a familiar face, Reddick appeared in various films and television series such as The Nanny (1997), Godzilla (1998), Great Expectations (1998), and The Siege (1998). Remembering Lance Reddick

After taking - and giving - a brutal beating over three previous John Wick films, it makes sense that Keanu Reeves would want to go out with a bang on the fourth and final film… if indeed this is the last film in the iconic revenge franchise. Words Gill Pringle ”T he story takes us out of New York City, where most of the previous films were set, and travels to CHECKING IN FOR ACTION

US spent months working with the cast, perfecting and safely handling the action’s unprecedented scope and scale. Although Reeves has been fight training for three decades, he began film-specific training in earnest eight months prior to the shoot. “When you’re on a John Wick film, you give one hundred per cent,” attests U.S. stunt coordinator Stephen Dunlevy. “Keanu is one of the first actors/stunt performers in the gym, and one of the last ones out. He leaves it on the mat every day. Keanu lives and breathes John Wick.” This fourth film also sees the return of Reeves‘s The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne, reprising his role as underworld kingpin the Bowery King, while also introducing action superstar and martial artist Donnie Yen as Wick’s longtime friend Caine, and Bill Skarsgård as sadistic High Table emissary the Marquis. If Reeves has become synonymous with John Wick, let’s not forget he achieved the same pinnacle as The Matrix ’s Neo. With almost 100 films to his credit, Reeves is one of Hollywood’s

Jordan, Japan, Berlin, and Paris,” says Reeves. “It has a look and scale unlike any we’ve seen before. In John Wick’s fighting style, you experience his effort, commitment, and will. I love his never-give-up attitude; its style seems desperate and capable,” says the beloved action and meme star. “We really expand the world-building of previous John Wick films, with a lot of fun and unexpected developments and characters,” he adds. “We also have new levels of the John Wick action and new weapons. And muscle cars are back!” He’s not kidding. Wick’s race to this final duel at the Sacré-Cœur in Paris turns into an all-out demolition derby (with guns), as he first takes the wheel of a banged-up but lethal muscle car, and then runs the gauntlet across Paris, with hundreds of bounty-hunting killers out to stop him.

Laurence Fishburne Keanu Reeves

choreographers, led by Scott Rogers, oversaw 14 action sequences - four times that of any previous John Wick films. “As an action star, Keanu is the best fighter I’ve seen in my career,” says Rogers. “He can also jump, drive, and use guns better than many stunt performers, so he's really impressive.” Stunt teams from Japan, France, Bulgaria, Germany, and the

Reeves trained for nine months to develop his driving skills, which impressed everyone on set. “There’s no actor in Hollywood that can drive better than Keanu,” says director Chad Stahelski. “That’s how much time he put into his training,” Five stunt and fight coordinator

Keanu Reeves had a nomadic childhood, and spent his early years living in Australia with his mother before relocating to Canada. DYK?

best-known stars, and no stranger to action, having helmed films such as Point Break (1991), Speed (1994), and Chain Reaction (1996).

• John Wick: Chapter 4 is out on Jun 21

12 JUNE 2023

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