Culture news “It was intense” This anecdote proves that Keanu Reeves (John Wick) is not a human like the others
Is Keanu Reeves a superman? The one nicknamed the Pop Messiah is on the verge of becoming one thanks to a role as physical as it is mute which relaunched his career in the 2010s. John Wick aka Baba Yaga is capable of extraordinary feats, all achieved by the Canadian actor, and this anecdote bears witness to this.
The “John Wick” effect
The John Wick franchise currently has four main episodes to which should be added the spin-off series The Continental: From the World of John Wick as well as John Wick Presents: Ballerina. In this film with Ana de Armas in the lead and which was postponed to June 2025, Keanu Reeves reprises his iconic role for an appearance that should delight fans of the most lethal killer in the 7th Art. We follow the quest for revenge of a ballerina during an epic setting its plot between John Wick: Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4.
But let’s return to the main saga and its impact on Keanu Reeves who for the needs of such a role trained tirelessly in martial arts, the handling of weapons and the art of stunts. With each new episode, Messiah Pop displays an extraordinary talent for giving and receiving during action sequences rarely shown on the big screen (at least in the West). This technical mastery is the work of director Chad Stahelski, his teams, Keanu Reeves and his partners who give him the “reply”. And it is this experience acquired on the set of the John Wick saga which saved Matrix Resurrections directed by Lana Wachowski from a sad fate.
Resurrection of the Matrix
Let things be clear. Matrix Resurrections would never have seen the light of day, much less in the cinema, if Keanu Reeves had not become the accomplished martial artist and stuntman he is today. And this he owes in large part to the John Wick series. It is nothing more and nothing less than the lessons learned during and between filming that transformed him into a “war machine”and this was necessary to save Lana Wachowski’s film from a sneaky release on HBO Max, or even cancellation.
The Matrix franchise has always stood out for its ability to surpass itself and offer spectators never before seen in terms of action and stunts. Bullet Time was introduced by the Wachowski sisters in The Matrix and many of the sequences have become cult today, whether it is the chase in Reloaded or the attack on Zion in Revolution. One of the key scenes in Resurrections involved Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss jumping off a building, but the insurance companies flatly refused. JD Schwalm (the special effects supervisor) returned for our colleagues from https://www.slashfilm.com/777120/the-matrix-resurrections-spectacular-ending-jump-almost-didnt-get-filmed/ Film]on this moment which could have put an end to the fourth Matrix adventure even before its release.
The most harrowing moment was when they jumped from the top of the building. We filmed the jump in the morning as the last shot of the day after shooting all night. But the night of the jump, we learned we weren’t going to do it. The studio and the insurance company, among others, were not going to allow the actors on the platform. We were up against the wall and finally someone showed up, gave the green light and it was done the same day. It was quite intense. – JD Schwalm (special effects supervisor – Matrix Resurrections)
Finally, the sequence was shot, the cautious being reassured by the experience acquired on the John Wick films by Keanu Reeves. Neo thus saved Matrix Resurrections by climbing onto said platform and jumping from this building to offer fans a cinematic moment in weightlessness. Lana Wachowski agrees with her “real” approach to directing and her desire to see the actors give their body and soul. These are the real actors who jump, not stunt doubles.