Why the John Wick dog nearly didn’t die

On the eve of the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, director Chad Stahelski reveals that the franchise nearly started out in a very different direction.

We recently posted a piece ranking the John Wick movies, in which we stated that the genius of the first film was in the simplicity of the now infamous inciting incident – the death of John Wick’s dog.

“The first chapter in this franchise is about more than just cracking action,” we wrote. “It’s about a man who loses everything. Twice. Kills everyone and everything responsible, in hugely satisfying fashion. Then regains some semblance of humanity come the film’s end. That emotional journey is what elevates John Wick, and makes it the finest film in this fantastic franchise.”

However, thanks to a new interview with director Chad Stahelski, we now know that the doggy death was nearly removed from the film’s script, which would have dramatically changed the trajectory of the series.

Why the John Wick dog nearly didn’t die

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski cast his mind back to Chapter 1, and the doubts that crept in surrounding the death of John’s dog.

“Killing the puppy was written out as many times as it was written back in,” Stahelski explains. “Ultimately, it’s mythological. We had to go so overboard, so extreme to push it to let you know that it was absolutely symbolic. We’re not trying to hold the realism. We want the viewers to know we’re having a laugh.”

Stahelski then adds that they felt killing the dog might kill their own careers stone dead, such would be the outcry from audiences.

He continues: “You don’t even know how much [co-director] Dave [Leitch] and I stressed about that. Holy sh*t, we were risking credit cards, a house mortgage, everything. [producer] Basil Iwanyk put his company up. And then you have that day where you realize we’re doing all this and we’re killing a puppy? I thought we would never come back from it.”

But come back they did, with John Wick spawning a franchise in which each instalment has been more successful than the last, and even a spinoff movie in the shape of the forthcoming Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas.

John Wick: Chapter 4 – the longest films in the franchise thus far – is released on May 24, 2023, while you can ready everything we’ve written about the series here.