The supposed title was also revealed, and it’s far from the actual title itself.
The title of “John Wick” seems to be an excellent fit for the ruthless, vengeance-driven figure played by Keanu Reeves in the film’s action-packed setting. However, in a surprising revelation, it turns out that the widely acclaimed action thriller “John Wick” wasn’t originally intended to be called by its now-iconic name.
The film’s original title, “Scorn,” a perfect description of the lead character’s desire for vengeance, was revealed by screenwriter Derek Kolstad in a recent interview with Comicbook. Reeves, however, kept referring to the movie as “John Wick,” so the company wisely decided to use the unintentional nickname in its marketing.
Kolstad said, “The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick. Marketing was like, ‘Dude, that’s four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it’s John Wick instead of Scorn.”
“The title change was for the best as John Wick — both the name of the movies and characters — is now an integral part of pop culture, especially when it comes to action movies.”
While the alteration may have been a result of Reeves’ forgetfulness, it has proven to be a fortuitous turn of events. As a result of its association with dramatic action and an engaging story, “John Wick” has cemented its status as a cultural icon. Particularly within the action cinema genre, the movies and characters have experienced tremendous success.
The success of the “John Wick” franchise is evident from its box office performance. A fourth installment was announced following the release of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” in May 2019, which brought in over $300 million globally. Due to the coronavirus pandemic’s widespread effects, the movie’s debut, which was initially slated for May 2021, has been postponed until May 27, 2022.
Director Chad Stahelski shed light on the reasons behind the extended delay, attributing it to Reeves’ commitment to complete filming for “The Matrix 4” first. Stahelski revealed to Collider, “‘The Matrix’ was only four weeks in when this all happened.”
“So, Keanu’s gotta go finish his commitment up on ‘The Matrix,’ which is a big deal and which I think will probably take him until the end of the year. Then we have to go into our prep mode, and then we’ll start,” he added.
Before the release of “John Wick: Chapter 4” in March 2023, Stahelski hinted at including previously deleted action sequences from the third film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he mentioned some specific details about the then-upcoming film.
“There were two action sequences that we had really kind of conceived, but we just didn’t have room for them,” he revealed. “So, we pulled them from the movie. And I’d like to think that 90 percent of what I pulled, there’s a place in John Wick 4 that I can definitely reinsert them.”
As of this writing, the “John Wick” franchise has now crossed $1 billion worldwide box office. The actor’s forgetfulness, which initially seemed like a simple oversight, has now forever etched the name “John Wick” into the annals of cinematic history.