John Wick began the directorial careers of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who then became highly acclaimed (and very different) action filmmakers.
John Wick kicked off the directorial careers of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who have since gone on to become two of the world’s most highly acclaimed action filmmakers (with vastly different styles). Although it began as any other low-budget revenge thriller, John Wick ended up launching one of the most popular and revered action movie franchises of the 21st century. It reinvigorated Keanu Reeves’ movie star career and the first-time filmmakers behind its success have since enjoyed very successful (and very different) careers in the action genre.
Derek Kolstad’s script for John Wick revolves around an ex-assassin returning to the criminal underworld to exact revenge when his beloved pet dog – the last remaining connection to his late wife, Helen – is callously killed by gangsters. In bringing that script to the screen, Stahelski and Leitch mixed in influences from film noir, spaghetti westerns, and Hong Kong martial arts movies. The result was a refreshingly visceral and stylish action thriller that went on to influence countless subsequent entries in the genre. In their ensuing directorial careers, Stahelski and Leitch wielded the success of John Wick very differently.
John Wick Was The Start Of Chad Stahelski & David Leitch’s Directing Careers
Although Stahelski is the only credited director on the first John Wick movie, Leitch was the co-director on-set (via The Hollywood Reporter). He may not have gotten official on-screen recognition for his work, but Leitch’s insight went a long way toward shaping the vision of John Wick. Both Stahelski and Leitch had previously collaborated with Reeves when they worked on the stunts for The Matrix trilogy. When they reunited to make John Wick, the trio already had an established working relationship and a professional shorthand.
When Reeves first signed on to star in John Wick, he sent the script to Stahelski and Leitch to see if they’d be interested in working on the film’s action (but secretly hoping that they’d want to direct it). Stahelski and Leitch responded to the material and wanted to go beyond working on the stunts to co-direct the film, even if Stahelski was the only one who ended up receiving an official credit. This resulted in an action movie masterpiece that turned Stahelski and Leitch into two of the most sought-after action directors in Hollywood.
Chad Stahelski Has Only Directed John Wick Sequels After The First Movie
Since making his directorial debut with the original John Wick film, Stahelski has focused all his attention on building out the franchise. Every movie he’s directed since John Wick has been a John Wick sequel, each one bigger, bolder, and more badass than the last. It’s rare that a filmmaker with a singular vision gets the opportunity to build a franchise from the ground up, but Stahelski has shepherded the John Wick series from the very beginning and delivered three great sequels. He has yet to disappoint with an entry in this explosive saga.
This has led to Stahelski developing an even closer working relationship with Reeves, and it’s given him a reputation in Hollywood as a worldbuilding mastermind who can guide a franchise to blockbuster success. While Stahelski has yet to direct a non-John Wick movie, he has plenty of potential projects in development. He’s working on a remake of Highlander with a view to launching a franchise, as well as movie adaptations of the novel Rainbow Six and the video game Ghost of Tsushima.
David Leitch Has Directed Major Action Franchises & Adaptations After John Wick
After co-directing the first John Wick movie, Leitch left the franchise in Stahelski’s hands as he expanded his reach to other action franchises and adaptations. His next movie after John Wick was Atomic Blonde, a John Wick-style spy thriller based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, before taking on a pre-existing franchise with Deadpool 2. After that, Leitch dived into the Fast & Furious franchise with its first spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, and helmed another graphic novel adaptation, Bullet Train. His next movie, The Fall Guy, is a big-budget adaptation of the classic TV show.
While Stahelski has remained confined to the John Wick franchise, crafting that entire universe from scratch, Leitch has taken the opposite approach, putting his stamp on fictional universes that other people have created, like the X-Men universe and the F&F universe. After making his first movie with Reeves, Leitch has worked with a series of equally legendary movie stars: Charlize Theron, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt – the list goes on. One day, it would be great to see Stahelski and Leitch reunite for another collaboration (and, hopefully, they’ll both be credited this time).
