‘John Wick’ director recalls Keanu Reeves taking stand for dog death scene

Filmmaker Chad Stahelski has revealed Hollywood star Keanu Reeves’ role in putting the famous dog death scene in ‘John Wick’.

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During a recent interview, the filmmaker revealed the makers faced resistance over including the scene in the film.

“We were told, it’s bad luck. It’s bad juju. It’s Old Yeller; you can’t do this! No one will want to see this on-screen; you’re going to alienate the audience,” he said. “We’re going to execute people at close range; killing the dog is one thing, but what about the brutal massacre of all these human beings? Are they going to be able to accept that?”

The blockbuster action franchise began with the 2014 film which sees Hollywood star Keanu Reeves portraying John Wick, a retired assassin who goes on a rampage when some burglars steal his beloved car and kill the puppy gifted to him by his late wife.

“Dave and I were very in sync on how we were going to shoot the scene. We were going to use a baby lens; John gets hit hard in the head, so it’s going to be dream-like; the dog death happens off-camera, and all you are going to see in the aftermath is this trail of blood making it look like the puppy tried to crawl to him,” Chad Stahelski said.

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Recalling the filming of the scene, the filmmaker said that Keanu Reeves acted with a stuffed dog, embodying his character’s grief.

“He’s all beat up. He looks awful in his pajamas. Everyone behind the monitors must have thought, okay, this is the worst idea; these first-time directors are done,” he added.

According to Stahelski, the makers of ‘John Wick’ were urged to develop an alternate ending to the scene where the puppy survives.

However, the Hollywood actor supported the original vision as he said that “Keanu stood up for us and eventually, they just felt, f*** it, let’s see what these guys can do.”

The movie turned out to be a blockbuster and went on to gross over $86 million globally, while the franchise was later expanded with three more films.