Thescreescore – The John Wick franchise, a neon-drenched ballet of bullets and brutal martial arts, redefined action cinema. But what if its signature "Gun-Fu" style had debuted years earlier, courtesy of Jason Statham? Director Chad Stahelski, the mastermind behind Wick’s kinetic choreography, reveals in an exclusive interview with thescreescore.com that he almost introduced this revolutionary style in the 2012 film, Safe.
Stahelski, serving as second unit director on Safe, envisioned incorporating the nascent "Gun-Fu" into Statham’s action sequences. However, as he explains, the timing wasn’t right. "It just didn’t quite fit with the storytelling," he admits. "We didn’t want to force the style. You can’t force a style on someone." The grounded narrative of Safe, a tale of a man down on his luck, simply didn’t lend itself to the bombastic, stylized violence that would later define John Wick.
Stahelski elaborates, drawing a parallel: "It’s like if we did John Wick and it was all wire-fu like The Matrix. It just doesn’t fit." His comments highlight a crucial element often overlooked: the symbiotic relationship between action choreography and narrative. The "Gun-Fu" wasn’t a standalone element; it was intrinsically woven into the fabric of John Wick‘s world and Keanu Reeves’s performance.
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The technology itself also played a role. Stahelski notes that the safety protocols and techniques necessary for the intricate gunplay of John Wick were still developing in 2012. The film’s success wasn’t solely about the action; it was a confluence of factors – Stahelski’s vision, the advancements in safe gun handling, and Reeves’s compelling portrayal of the titular character. Even without the "Gun-Fu," John Wick would likely have still been a groundbreaking film, a testament to the power of its overall execution. But the synergy of these elements created cinematic lightning in a bottle. The near-miss with Statham serves as a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of a genre-defining style, reminding us that even the most innovative ideas require the perfect context to truly shine.
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