Keanu Reeves returns in one of his signature roles in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, as the un-retired hitman uncovers a path to defeating The High Table – a council of twelve crime lords that governs the underworld’s most powerful organizations, and which has put a multi-million-dollar bounty on Wick’s head for his defiance. But before Wick can earn his freedom, he must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances around the globe that turns old friends into deadly foes.
A new day is dawning in Wick’s world: new rules, new ideas, and new management, as personified by The High Table’s sadistic frontman, Marquis. But now, win or lose, Wick has a way out: challenge the Marquis to single combat. If Wick prevails, the Table will honor its word and Wick will no longer have a target on his back. Whatever the fateful outcome, John Wick knows that he left a good life behind a long time ago.
Returning to the beloved film series, which has electrified audiences around the world, are Laurence Fishburne, as The Bowery King, the head of an underground intelligence network disguised as a homeless shelter; Ian McShane, as Winston, the owner of the New York Continental Hotel, which is frequented by the world’s most accomplished killers; and Lance Reddick, as Charon, the hotel’s loyal and distinguished concierge.
Joining the cast is action superstar and martial artist Donnie Yen (the Ip Man series; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), as Caine, Wick’s longtime friend, who must turn against Wick when The High Table threatens a family member; Bill Skarsgård (Pennywise the Clown in the It films) as the Table’s sadistic emissary, the Marquis; martial arts/action film star Hiroyuki Sanada (Bullet Train, Army of the Dead), as Shimazu, another Wick friend and the proprietor of the Osaka Continental Hotel; Shamier Anderson as The Tracker, who, as his name suggests, is hunting Wick; Rina Sawayama, as Akira, Shimazu’s daughter and the Osaka Continental’s concierge; and martial arts star Scott Adkins as Killa, a jumbo-sized wild card shark/killer who is targeting Wick.
NEXT LEVEL
Chad Stahelski, who returns as director and a producer, having helmed the three previous blockbusters John Wick films, embraced the idea of taking the film series to the next level. CHAPTER 4 transports us in an exciting new direction,” he notes. “We continue to uncover new and sometimes unexpected facets of John Wick, and introduce many new characters, who have some surprising connections to Wick. In addition to the action, there is brotherhood and hope, and we explore some emotional threads that were only hinted at in the previous films.”
Adds Keanu Reeves, who also serves as an executive producer on the film, “We really expand the world-building of previous John Wick films, with a lot of fun and unexpected developments and characters. We also have new levels of the John Wick action and new weapons. And muscle cars are back!”
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 expands the universe of the series, with the filmmakers painting on a much bigger canvas. “The story takes us out of New York City, where most of the previous films were set, and travels to Jordan, Japan, Berlin, and Paris,” Reeves continues. “It has a look and scale unlike any we’ve seen before. There are no less than 14 major action sequences, including a wild and epic chase through the streets of Paris. In John Wick’s fighting style, you experience his effort, commitment, and will. I love his never-give-up attitude; its style seems desperate and capable.”
Reeves, of course, is the beating heart of the franchise. As producer Erica Lee explains, “The spin on the first film was not only putting an actor whom everyone loves at its center but telling an action film in a different way. The action came first, but the designs, aesthetics and gun-fu” – the film series’ take on the sophisticated close-quarters gunfighting that combines firearms with martial arts and hand-to-hand combat – “all the things that make it unique, were born.”
Lee also makes note of the “bond and trust” between Reeves and Stahelski that has defined the John Wick franchise. “Chad has given so much to the films for the better part of a decade. Keanu loves the series so much – he’s in every script meeting and casting discussion and has come up with some amazing story ideas. Very few franchises have the consistency we’ve enjoyed with our core team.”
Building upon the world created by Derek Kolstad, the new film’s screenplay is by Shay Hatten, who also co-wrote the third film, and Michael Finch. The latter notes Reeves and Stahelski’s directive was to “honor the title character and his world and give the audience even more. The beauty of these stories is their ever-expanding nature.”
“It’s been a pleasure working with Chad and our teams in coming up with new ideas and worlds,” Reeves elaborates. “Chad has always believed that we should explore The High Table – you never see its members, but we envisioned them as a secret society, like the Masons or the Illuminati.
“In CHAPTER 4, we wanted to flip the paradigm of Wick on the run and have him go after The High Table,” he continues. “It’s the story of John deciding that he’s not going to run away anymore. Instead, he runs at the Table, which really puts an exclamation point on why people fear John Wick.”
Producer Basil Iwanyk elaborates: “At the beginning of the film, everyone assumes Wick is dead. So, he could live happily ever after and be in peace. But no, it’s John Wick! He can’t leave it alone; justice must be done. He kicks the global hornet’s nest, and every assassin in the world is after him. And he’s alone.”
CAINE
Reeves’s work in the Wick films, as well as in The Matrix quadrilogy, have established him as one of the cinema’s premier action/martial arts stars. In CHAPTER 4, he’s joined by two other global film icons, Donnie Yen and Hiroyuki Sanada.
“We’ve always sought an antagonist who is Wick’s equal – or better,” Iwanyk points out. “We wanted to cast, as Caine, an actor whom audiences would believe that John could not defeat. There aren’t many who can go toe-to-toe with Keanu, while giving a richly detailed performance. Donnie is one of them.”
In many ways, Yen’s Caine is an intriguing mirror image of Wick: a lethal figure who made an extraordinary sacrifice because he did what an assassin should avoid at all costs: he loved. For Wick, it was his late, beloved wife, who succumbed to cancer. For Caine, it’s his precious daughter, whose safety The High Table threatens in order to secure Caine’s services.
“Caine was close to John, back in the day,” Reeves explains. “They share no personal animosity but do have in common several facets of their personality and work.”
One of Caine’s defining characteristics is his lack of sight. This initially gave Yen pause, as he had recently played a sightless character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. “I was also concerned about how Caine could react,” Yen notes. “I wanted him to be a complex, human character, and wondered how he could engage if he could not look Wick in the eyes. I had to find different ways for Caine to express himself. He’s a blind martial arts master who can take on dozens of opponents simultaneously, so he must be very skilled. Finding that balance between being sightless and physically gifted was challenging.”
Yen appreciated Caine’s humanity and complexity, as well as his sense of style. “I saw Caine as a mix between Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee,” says the legendary star. “I remembered black-and-white interview footage in which Lee wore a skinny black tie and black suit, which I thought was pretty cool. It’s a classic look, and it works well for Caine.”
The wardrobe also provides an interesting contrast to Wick’s. The latter dons a new black Kevlar suit and Kevlar infused ballistic shirt.
“Donnie does everything with such ferocity and attention to detail,” marvels Reeves, who counts himself as one of Yen’s fervent fans. “Donnie Yen: the legend, the myth, the man,” he says with a smile. “He’s a special person and artist and working with him was an honor.”
Stahelski, too, admits to being a little star struck by Yen, remembering, “The first day of filming with Donnie, well, the 18-year-old in me just came out. Standing between Keanu and Donnie, blocking the first fight scene, was a surreal moment for me.
“With those fight scenes, we wanted to craft something we haven’t seen before,” Stahelski adds. Donnie with a sword and pistol; Keanu with a samurai sword and a couple of guns and throwing an AR-15 into a mirror room filled with Japanese artifacts. Let’s see what happens, I thought.”
WINSTON AND CHARON
Two series mainstays, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick, return in CHAPTER 4, as their characters, Winston and Charon, face new personal and professional upheavals.
McShane’s Winston is the owner of the New York Continental Hotel, which functions as a comfortable and safe venue for hired killers. When, in the second film, after Wick conducts “business” on hotel grounds – killing a despicable adversary – he incurs terrible penalties and ends up with a price on his head. In the third film, Winston committed a shocking, if necessary, act against his friend, Wick, who had, after all, broken his establishment’s laws. But Winston may be Wick’s only hope when the cunning hotelier devises a strategy for the on-the-run hitman to finally be free of The High Table.
“Winston is always in control, and it’s interesting to see how he reacts when everything he values is taken away from him,” says McShane. “He’s a suave figure when he enjoys all the vestments and services of the hotel, but when it’s stripped away, he becomes a far more dangerous man than we knew.”
“In this story, Winston is a master of revenge and instrumental in shaping Wick’s only way out of a seemingly impossible situation,” says Reeves. Adds Stahelski: “Ian is an indispensable collaborator who has helped define the world of John Wick.”
The supremely capable, dignified, and helpful concierge, Charon, is Winston’s, right-hand man. Theirs is a bond that transcends employer-employee and even friendship. Says Lance Reddick, “One of the things that are so interesting about Winston and Charon’s relationship is that it is so close. You get a sense that they’ve been together for many years, probably even before their tenures at the New York Continental. You feel there’s an affection between them, and this film confirms it.”
THE BOWERY KING
Laurence Fishburne reprises his role as the Bowery King, an underworld (literally) kingpin who, from his underground headquarters, heads an intelligence network designed to look like a homeless shelter. Now, he’s traveled to Paris, to be of service to Wick, as the latter faces the ultimate challenge.
“Bowery King is the character who most embraces the world of John Wick,” Finch states. “He opens his arms and draws it all in.”
For Reeves, Fish, as he calls Fishburne, is “safe harbor; he’s been a mentor to me since we worked together on The Matrix.”
Fishburne was pleased to return to a world which, he says, “has gotten even more amazing. I love the juxtaposition of playing a character who is so regal, but whose kingdom is underneath a very stylized and elegant world.”
Additionally, Fishburne enjoyed expanding upon the Wick-Bowery King dynamic. “Bowery King’s relationship with John is really quite intimate and shrouded in mystery,” Fishburne explains. “And I liked that Chad told me that Winston and The Bowery King are brothers, in a way. The Bowery King can be seen as Hades, the god of hell. Like Winston, he’s also a protector of Wick’s secrets. He’s the chef in John’s secret kitchen.”
SHIMAZU
Another martial arts master who, like Caine, has a long history with Wick, is Shimazu, portrayed by screen legend Hiroyuki Sanada. Shimazu owns the Osaka Continental Hotel and faces the wrath of The High Table when he offers Wick safe haven at his establishment. As Reeves explains, “John doesn’t have many friends left, but he has a brotherhood, steeped in friendship and sacrifice. John, Caine and Shimazu form a triangle: the assassin, Caine, who got out of the game but was forced back in to protect his daughter; and Shimazu, who also has a daughter he must protect. Shimazu will have to pay a price for his allegiance to John.”
In casting the role, Iwanyk says, “We wanted a Japanese actor with real weight who could hold his own with Donnie Yen – two action legends on screen together. Hiro carries essential wisdom and integrity and takes up much of the screen with just his presence.”
Sanada, in turn, explains the character’s journey: “Shimazu is maybe John Wick’s last friend. John had no place to go, but then he remembers his friend in Japan. Shimazu grew up with John and Caine; they were like brothers. They trained together. But when Shimazu had a daughter, he tried to transition to a more peaceful life… until John Wick’s visit.
“The characters’ histories are so deep and important to Shimazu,” Sanada continues. When John arrives at the Osaka Continental, Shimazu cannot say no to him. John is a brother; it’s a very touching situation.”
“These men are not heroes; they’re bad men with a code,” Stahelski elaborates. We wanted them to be as multi-dimensional as possible, and we were lucky to get two great actors, Donnie and Hiro, to play against each other, and against Keanu. We don’t get into too much detail about their pasts, and let the audience fill in the blanks. This is a world in the shadows, and these men should exist there.”
Shimazu’s daughter, Akira, works for her father, as a concierge at the Osaka Continental. Theirs is a loving but complicated relationship. She’s a part of his world but cannot embrace it. But upon John Wick’s arrival at the Osaka Continental, she learns there is no escape from it.
For her position at the hotel, Akira is trained in etiquette and fighting. Her heretofore placid life there is turned upside-down when she learns that its New York counterpart has been demolished. Life gets
even more complicated when Akira sees Wick sharing drinks with her father in the hotel’s rooftop garden. “It is then Akira realizes that she really doesn’t have anything to lose,” says Rina Sawayama, who makes her feature film debut. “She knows Wick is a very dangerous man who is using his last defense and connection – her father. Akira tells Wick that he’s ruining people’s lives; that’s what drew me to the script.”
Like so many in the John Wick universe, Sawayama underwent rigorous fight and weapons training and choreography. “But Akira has never actually killed anyone before,” she notes. Chad was into creating that big moment when she first fires a gun.”
THE TRACKER AND HIS FAITHFUL ACCOMPLICE
Another pursuer of John Wick is known only as the Tracker, whose faithful and nameless canine partner is a Belgian Malinois. The Tracker makes a deal with The High Table but comes to realize it’s a Faustian bargain. Just by agreeing to their terms, he may have already lost.
Canadian actor Shamier Anderson, who takes on the role, worked with Stahelski to create key nuances for the character. “The Tracker is very tactile – from his notebook, in which he writes everything down during his search for Wick, to always carrying a sack, to his light, guns, clothing, and dog. The latter serves as a companion to – and extension of – the Tracker.”
“We wanted to seamlessly fit the dog into the story,” says Stahelski, “and not just have it do stunts and attacks. We loved the idea of a character who was literally tracking and could smell Wick.”
Five animals take on the role. Anderson arrived early in Berlin to train with his canine co-stars. “I had to be with the dogs every day,” he remembers. “Each one had a different personality, energy, and skill set. One dog did the tugging, and another fetched. Not only did I get acquainted with them, I worked to understand their energy and build a believable relationship.”
THE MARQUIS
The Marquis is the emissary of The High Table – “the new sheriff in town,” says Lee. John Wick has defied The Table, killed its Elder, and “now there’s hell to pay,” she adds.
The Marquis relishes his deadly duties – way too much. His scorched-earth approach to finding Wick, along with his sadism and underestimation of Winston and, of course, Wick, may lead to the … tables … being turned on the Marquis.
“The Marquis is one of the loathsome characters in the four movies,” says Finch. “In casting the role, we wanted to go with someone who could convey youthful punk-like qualities, and who could express a fake formalism and politeness at the same time. We want audiences to hate him.”
Enter Bill Skarsgård, whose memorable roles include Pennywise the Clown in the recent adaptation of Stephen King’s It. “We needed an actor who could go for it, and that’s Bill,” Stahelski sums up.
Skarsgård was excited to take on the role. “The Marquis is appointed to a high position to track down and kill John Wick,” he describes. “He’s off his leash, which means he can implement whatever he wants and whatever he thinks is necessary to get the job done.”
“The Marquis has an agenda,” Skarsgård continues. “He is a very powerful spokesman for The Table and is clear why John Wick must die. This is about rules, consequences, and the maintenance of order. He is a villain who believes he’s the hero of his own story.”
The character’s lifestyle exemplifies his power. In contrast to the Bowery King in underground Paris, The Marquis frequents glamorous locations, which his wealth and power have secured for him to enjoy. Says Skarsgård, “I’ve never worked on a production where I’ve been in such opulent, over-the-top, and exclusive locations – at the Louvre, the Louis Vuitton Museum, the Trocadéro with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and the Opera House. The Marquis likes to do business in places with magnitude.”
The character’s powerful suits, from Oscar®-nominated costume designer Paco Delgado, feature an incredible level of detail. Some were hand painted or hand embroidered. “One outfit has a bit of a western flair with the mid to late 1800s cut of the suits,” says Skarsgård. “Other characters wear black suits with black ties, so the Marquis gives it a little bit more of a sparkle. At every location, there’s a different suit in different colors – white, silver, and red velvet – plus there’s glitter and gold, so what’s not to like about it?”
The Marquis’ principal enforcer, Chidi, a seemingly indestructible behemoth, is played by Chilean action star Marko Zaror. “Chidi, who commands a small army, the Myrmidons, feels superior to all the other assassins,” Zaror points out. “His tailored suits make the character surprisingly elegant, and he doesn’t get his hands dirty unless it’s necessary. Chidi doesn’t buy into Wick and Caine’s code of honor. He’s all about getting things done, according to the mandates of The High Table.”
THE HARBINGER
Noted character actor and genre fan favorite Clancy Brown takes on a figure known only as the Harbinger. As his name suggests, the character initiates major change. Indeed, this Harbinger initiates both destructions – he brings The Table’s order to destroy the New York Continental – and death, as he presides over the final duel between Caine, and Wick.
Wherever The Harbinger arrives, bad things happen. You do not want the Harbinger knocking on your door.
Brown sees the Harbinger as “what John Wick is in danger of becoming. Like Wick, the Harbinger can’t get away from The High Table, ever. Unlike Wick, the Harbinger is old. He limps and has scars. So, instead of being an assassin for that organization, he conducts its business.”
And business is, well, booming, in a dark way. “The Harbinger is a watchdog and advisor to the Marquis, who is rich, elegant, smart, ruthless – and horrible,” Clancy explains. “The Harbinger has been around a long time, as a go-between. He gives the Marquis enough rope to hang himself, but he will always enforce The Table’s rules.
RUSKA ROMA
Wick must seek the assistance and sponsorship of his long-estranged adoptive family – the criminal organization Ruska Roma, which has a seat at The High Table – so he can challenge the Marquis on their behalf.
“Before John can set the duel with the Marquis, he runs into the issue of hierarchy,” notes Stahelski. “He must earn the right to a duel, which, like in the Middle Ages, you cannot do outside your class. That’s an interesting idea to play with.”
Wick’s attempts to reconnect with Ruska Roma won’t be easy; in Chapter 3, under the auspices of the organization’s Director (portrayed by Anjelica Huston), Wick was provided safe passage to meet the Elder in Casablanca, despite the price on his head. But Wick was banned from returning to them.
In Berlin, Wick meets two members of the extended clan: Katia, played by British actor Natalia Tena, and Killa, portrayed by action film star and MMA fighter Scott Adkins. “John and Katia are cousins,” Tena explains, “and Katia is the queen of the Romas. She knows how to wield her power.”
After Wick passes one brutal trial, Katia sends him to meet – and kill – Killa at his pulsating nightclub. Stahelski was eager to cast Adkins but make him almost unrecognizable in a plus-sized bodysuit – inspired by the iconic and morally ambiguous nightclub owner “Signor Ferrari,” portrayed by Sydney Greenstreet, in the classic film, Casablanca.
“Killa was once a feared and revered assassin, but obviously he’s let himself go,” Adkins describes. Still, the corpulent killer has a few lethal moves left. Due to the complex design and heavy prosthetics of his new bodysuit-enhanced frame, Adkins created new fighting moves for Killa. “We landed upon a style that’s a bit of the MMA version of Mike Tyson,” he explains.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4’s department heads include director of photography Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF, production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, editor Nathan Orloff, costume designer Paco Delgado, composers Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, music supervisor Jen Malone, and visual effects supervisors Jonathan Rothbart and Janelle Croshaw. Five stunt coordinators/fight choreographers, led by Scott Rogers, oversaw 14 action sequences, four times that of the previous John Wick films. The production brought in stunt teams from Japan, France, Bulgaria, Germany, and the United States.
The cast and stunt performers spent months perfecting and safely handling the action’s unprecedented scope and scale. Although Reeves had been fighting training for almost three decades, he began film-specific training in earnest almost eight months before the start of principal photography.
“As an action star, Keanu is the best fighter I’ve seen in my career. He can also jump, drive and use guns better than many stunt performers, so he’s really impressive,” states Rogers.
Adds U.S. stunt coordinator Stephen Dunlevy, “When you’re on a John Wick film, you give one hundred percent. Keanu is one of the first actors/stunt performers in the gym and one of the last ones out. He leaves it on the mat every day. Keanu lives and breathes John Wick.”
For CHAPTER 4, Dave Camarillo worked with Reeves to perfect the actor’s judo and jujitsu. “Dave is a legendary judoka and jujitsu, works with American Kickboxing Academy, has been on teams with champions, and also instructs the military,” Reeves tells us. “He took me back to the basics and elevated them not only with skills but intention. I’m so grateful for that.”
Reeves refers to his core training partners in hand-to-hand combat as “The John Wick 5,” encompassing Reeves, Camarillo, and stunt performers Bruce Concepcion, Qiang Li, and Jeremy Marinas, the latter serving as the fight choreographer for this film.
Reeves also did precision driving training and horseback riding training, in addition to instruction in many other disciplines. “Over the course of these films, Wick can sign, speak Russian, and, in CHAPTER 4, speak a little Japanese. So, I’m always picking up different skills,” says Reeves.
“Everything is on a bigger scale for this movie,” adds Dunlevy. “Any individual stunt piece in this film could be the tentpole action piece for any other movie.” Fight choreographer Koji Kawamoto and a team of stunt performers traveled from Japan to Germany to work with the American team from famed stunt/production entity 87eleven to create the extended fight sequence set in the Osaka Continental. Over 50 stunt performers from Germany, the U.S., and Japan filmed the scene at that location for almost a month.
When Chidi and the Myrmidons arrive and deconsecrate the hotel, an all-out battle ensues, beginning in the lobby with assassins wielding guns, blades, and bows and arrows. Meanwhile, The High Table Tactical Team attacks John Wick and Akira amongst the cherry trees dropping their blossoms.
The fight moves through the different levels and spaces of the hotel. “I tried to mix a traditional with a modern aesthetic,” says Kavanaugh. “For the Osaka Continental, I used this traditional Samurai way of life – depicted in artwork that dates to the 1600s – as a base. Then we add on to make it contemporary. For example, we did a big gunfight in the exhibition room, which has a lot of glass, which keeps reflecting even after it shatters. I framed all these old beautiful rice paper paintings in glass and put modern frames around them.”
The glass display cases contain weapons like long knives, spears, bows and arrows, Wakizashi, and katana. “John Wick has a history of using everything near him, and we use that technique in the Exhibition Room. His gun is dry, so he throws the gun, and there are nunchaku and swords and glass nearby,” says Kawamoto.
“Shimazu’s fighting style is basically the same as Wick’s, because they grew up together,” Sanada comments. “Shimazu uses a gun and then jujutsu, but his specialty is a Japanese sword. So, it’s a mixing of the original John Wick style with a little Japanese flavor. But the mental fighting is the most important thing.”
The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin serves as the exterior of the Berlin nightclub where John Wick confronts and battles Killa. For the interiors, the filmmakers built a multi-story set featuring extensive practical water and fire effects inside the partially open interior of the three-story Kraftwerks Building. The nightclub set took up the massive interior of the former industrial space. “The sets are insane!” says Lee, with a laugh. “It’s the largest set we’ve ever done for the John Wick films, with massive amounts of water and incredible fighting through walls of water.”
A team of 35 stunt performers worked alongside 200 background extras for over two weeks filming the sequence, which features shifting allegiances and perpetual motion. “The club was insane, we had a mass amount of extras intermixed with stunts performing complicated choreography,” echoes visual effects supervisor Jonathan Rothbart. “Adding in all the additional effects and extensions was extremely complex, as we had lights spinning in perpetual motion coming from different sources in different directions at all times.”
Wick’s race to Paris Sacré Coeur, where his duel with the Marquis will take place, turns into an all-out demolition derby with guns as he first takes the wheel of a banged-up but lethal muscle car, and then runs the gauntlet across Paris, with hundreds of killers out to stop him.
Reeves trained for nine months to develop his driving skills, which impressed everyone on set, including his director. “There’s no actor in Hollywood that can drive better than Keanu,” Stahelski says. “That’s how much time he put into his training.”
With multiple cars moving at top speeds, the sequence evolves into close-quarter combat with guns, in the street, among the racing vehicles. “This gunfight is in the middle of the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe,” explains Reeves.
Since it was logistically impossible to close the six to eight lanes of the roundabout around the massive monument on the Champs-Elysees for several weeks, filmmakers came up with a clever solution. “We worked at a non-operational airport in Berlin, Tegel,” Reeves continues. “We did the wire work on the tarmac and gunfights and judo through several lanes of traffic. We’ve had gun-fu in the previous films, and now we have car-fu.”
Another large-scale action set piece with a unique style explodes in a French apartment building, with much of the action captured by an extended “god’s eye view” looking down on the action from above. “It’s something we’ve never seen before onscreen,” says France stunt coordinator / fight choreographer Laurent Demianoff. “The first step was to shoot it from a camera mounted on a drone.”
Most of the Bowery King’s scenes were shot under Paris, in the St. Martin Canal, which flows beneath the city; Metro Porte des Lilas subway station; and in a never-before-filmed bomb shelter. Production had to put in special air ventilation and employ 80 cleaners for two weeks to safely work in the subterranean space, located deep underneath the most modern part of Paris.
“To be in Paris occupying spaces in the underworld of the city, well, it doesn’t really get any better,” says Fishburne. “Chad has somehow managed to take a little bit of Kurosawa, a little bit of Sergio Leone, mash it up, and put it in the City of Light.”
As Wick continues his odyssey across Paris, toward his fateful showdown with the Marquis, he battles through scores of enemies as he attempts to climb a long, long staircase. He must attempt the ascension more than a few times, as he is pushed back and tumbles down them, only to rise and begin anew. Wick has only 13 minutes to somehow get through this seemingly impenetrable wall of skilled assassins determined to stop him. “We did one of the world’s longest stair falls down all 300 steps,” shares Dunlevy. “It’s a steep staircase with railings down the middle, drop-offs on one side, and ramps with trees on the other side; there was so much to play with stunt-wise.”
It’s nothing less than an opera of insanity, which thrillingly sets up the climactic duel – during which Stahelski slows things down and lets tension and anticipation set the tone. “There’s nothing more personal than a duel to settle disputes,” says the director. “In a world where there seems to be no escape for John, we wanted to show action in a slower way and deal with the emotional resonance. We go back to the core of the films: one man against another, with something huge at stake.
“It’s something Wick must earn,” he continues. “It’s also a nod to some of my favorite westerns.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
As the filmmakers completed the final touches on JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, they offered some thoughts on the franchise and their hopes for the new film. “Chad pushes us all,” comments Lee. “These movies have had an incredible reach, and the John Wick films have brought a lot of joy to people.”
“JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 has huge sets and vistas,” adds Iwanyk. “Every decision we made is with the dream of sitting in a theater and watching it on a big screen. You get your popcorn, the theater’s packed, you feel the energy, and audiences cheer as soon as John Wick comes on the screen. John Wick is an escapist ride and collective thrill for audiences.”
Stahelski explains his goals for each of the John Wick pictures: “We didn’t want each film to just be bigger than the previous one. We wanted each to expand on the character and his world. To be better, as well as bigger.”
Keanu Reeves echoes his director’s thoughts, commenting, “Working with this core team of creatives who have been responsible for the visionary look and world-building of the John Wick films has been such an honor. Working with Chad on that vision, plus the story and action, has been a pleasure. His take on the way that action and dramatic storytelling must go hand in hand is my taste, and it’s been great to have a creative collaborator to put me in dramatic positions and action situations, where we had to come up with new terms, like gun-fu, and car-fu, just to describe them. We’ve created a wonderful playground to explore what you can do with this character. Over the course of these chapters, we’ve been able to continue to surprise and to world-build and innovate with John Wick.”
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Chad Stahelski’s [Director, Producer] is known as one of the busiest filmmakers working in Hollywood today. His next film in theaters is JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, the latest in the record-breaking box-office franchise, which Lionsgate has scheduled to release on March 24, 2023. Chad is the Director and a Producer of the film which stars Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Laurence Fishburne.
Through his production company, 87Eleven Entertainment, Chad recently produced the vampire thriller Day Shift for Netflix. Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Karla Souza, Meagan Good, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Oliver Masucci, Snoop Dogg, Steve Howey, Scott Adkins, and Zion Broadnax starred in the film which started streaming on August 12, 2022.
Additional recent credits for Chad include The Matrix Resurrections (Warner Bros.) as an actor and executive producing Halle Berry’s Bruised (Netflix).
In the John Wick universe, Chad is executive producing the prequel television series The Continental for Peacock as well as the film spin-off Ballerina. He made his directorial debut with 2014’s John Wick, which he co-directed with David Leitch. That box-office and critical success was followed by 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, with Chad again at the helm – this time as sole director. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which Lionsgate released in 2019, continued the saga with Reeves and a cast including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Jason Mantzoukas, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane.
Projects in film development with 87Eleven Entertainment include Ghost of Tsushima (Sony/Play Station) based on the action-adventure game set in feudal Japan; Rainbow Six based on the Tom Clancy novel and starring Michael B. Jordan; an adaptation of the popular Black Samurai novels (Netflix); and an adaptation of Trevanian’s Shibumi (Warner Bros.) all with an eye for Chad to direct and produce. Additionally, the company is developing Man From Nowhere (NewLine). On the television front, they are developing Project Nemesis (Sony TV).
Chad came from a martial art background. He entered the film field at the age of 24 as a stunt double on The Crow where he doubled the late Brandon Lee. The greatest break for Chad as a stuntman came when he doubled for Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. From there, he moved on to fight choreography, stunt coordinating, and 2nd Unit directing. He worked on titles including Wild Wild West, The Replacements, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Van Helsing, Constantine, xXx: State of the Union, and 300.
He has worked as 2nd unit director on Captain America: Civil War, The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Brothers Grimsby, Hitman: Agent 47, Escape Plan, After Earth, The Expendables 2, Safe, and Ninja Assassin.
Shay Hatten [Writer] has quickly solidified himself as a major action and genre writer, having been named one of Variety’s Top Ten Writers to Watch for 2019 only 3 years after graduating from LMU undergrad. Shay’s original female action feature Ballerina is currently in post-production with Len Wiseman directing, Ana de Armas starring, and Thunder Road producing as a spin-off to the John Wick franchise. This spec is what resulted in him co-writing John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, being director Chad Stahelski’s right hand in the creation of both films. His other credits include Zack Snyder’s hit Oscars’ “Fan Favorite” contest feature Army Of The Dead, starring Dave Bautista for Netflix; its two spinoffs: a prequel animation series currently in post and hit heist film Army Of Thieves, starring Matthias Schweighöfer; as well as upcoming Sci-Fi fantasy epic feature Rebel Moon, starring Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, and Anthony Hopkins.
He also wrote the hit vampire action film Day Shift starring Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg for Netflix, and his action feature spec Unicorn sold to Universal with Louis Leterrier attached to direct and Matt Reeves producing. He’s also written features for Sony and Paramount. On the TV side, his adaptation of I Know What You Did Last Summer was released on Amazon with James Wan’s Atomic Monster producing, and his original pilot (Future) Cult Classic was produced for The SYFY Channel by UCP and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and starred David Arquette, Justin Bartha, Emily Alyn Lind, and Cary Elwes, with Fleabag’s Tim Kirkby directing.
Michael Finch [Writer] is a film and television writer known for JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, American Assassin, Hitman: Agent 47, The November Man, and Predators. A graduate of Princeton University, Michael currently resides in San Diego, California with his wife and two children and lectures at the University of San Diego’s Department of Theatre & Dance.
Derek Kolstad [Based on Characters Created by] is the writer/creator of the John Wick franchise. In the past three years, he has adapted The Man From Nowhere for New Line and Splinter Cell for Netflix, created Nobody for Universal and Die Hart for Quibi/Roku, Co-EP’d Marvel/Disney+’s limited series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, and produced The Princess for 20th/Hulu and The Continental for Lionsgate/Peacock. In addition to active projects at Lionsgate, Netflix, Amazon, Sony, and Paramount, a sequel to Kolstad’s 2021 action-thriller Nobody is starting pre-production at Universal, making it his second major franchise.
Basil Iwanyk [Producer] is the founder of Thunder Road Pictures, one of the most prolific and respected independent film companies in Hollywood. Founded in 2003, Thunder Road’s films have been nominated for Academy Awards®, Golden Globes®, Producers Guild Awards, Writers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, and AFI Awards, as well as have appeared at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Berlin Film Festivals. Thunder Road’s films have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion worldwide.
Thunder Road is best known as the producers of the John Wick franchise, including John Wick 1-3 as well as the upcoming JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4. Iwanyk also recently wrapped production on Ballerina, a film spinoff starring Ana de Armas, directed by Len Wiseman; and is in post-production on a TV spinoff series, The Continental.
Other notable films include The Town, directed by and starring Ben Affleck; the critically-acclaimed drama Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin as well as its sequel, Sicario: Day Of The Soldado; Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, starring Jeremy Renner; and the Oscar®-winning A Star Is Born, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper opposite Lady Gaga.
Most recently, Iwanyk produced Tarik Saleh’s black op thriller The Contractor, starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster; the Halle Berry-helmed Bruised, at Netflix; the Football Drama National Champions, starring Stephan James, J.K. Simmons, and Uzo Aduba; Ric Waugh’s disaster epic Greenland, starring Gerard Butler; and Neil Burger’s sci-fi thriller Voyagers, starring Colin Farrell, Tye Sheridan, and Lily-Rose Depp.
Up next, Basil has David Mackenzie’s Relay, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; and Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny, starring Mads Mikkelsen. Thunder Road is currently in post-production on Dev Patel’s directorial debut, the stylized revenge thriller Monkey Man; John Woo’s heralded US action film return Silent Night starring Joel Kinnaman; Stefon Bristol’s sophomore film Breathe starring Jennifer Hudson and Milla Jovovich; the Ric Waugh and Gerard Butler action epic Kandahar; Netflix’s Mouly Surya-directed modern western Trigger Warning starring Jessica Alba; and the romantic comedy Love Again starring Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan and Celine Dion.
Additionally, Basil and Thunder Road have produced the epic Clash Of The Titans, and its sequel, Wrath Of The Titans; four installments of The Expendables franchise; Brooklyn’s Finest; We Are Marshall; The Current War; A Private War; Hotel Mumbai; and The Informer.
Erica Lee [Producer] Born in NYC, Erica Lee graduated with honors from Florida State University with a degree in communications and immediately entered the entertainment industry with an internship at NBC Studios in Burbank. Following her internship, she began working at Creative Artists Agency as an assistant in the talent department. A fifteen-year veteran of Thunder Road, Erica started as the assistant to Chairman Basil Iwanyk. Now, President of Production, she has produced some of the company’s most successful films including all three installments of the John Wick franchise, Taylor Sheridan’s chilling Wind River, the critically acclaimed Sicario directed by Oscar®-nominated Denis Villeneuve (Directing, Arrival, 2016) and starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro, as well as the Stefano Sollima-directed sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
Erica has also shepherded development on such titles as A Star is Born We Are Marshall, Brooklyn’s Finest, The Town, The Expendables franchise, Clash of the Titans and its sequel, Wrath of the Titans, and served as co-producer on Universal Pictures’ Seventh Son, directed by Sergei Bodrov , starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore; Oscar® nominee Matthew Heineman’s (Documentary (Feature), Cartel Land, 2015) gripping narrative debut, A Private War; Andrea Di Stefano’s The Informer, starring Rosamund Pike and Joel Kinnaman; and Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s The Current War, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon. Most recently, Erica produced Ric Roman Waugh’s white-knuckle disaster thriller, Greenland, starring Gerard Butler. Her other recent titles include Halle Berry’s hard-hitting directorial debut, Bruised, and Tarik Saleh’s black op thriller, The Contractor, starring Chris Pine. Erica is currently in post-production on the fourth installment of John Wick, which reunites Keanu Reeves with director Chad Stahelski, as well as Mouly Surya’s Trigger Warning starring Jessica Alba; John Woo’s heralded US action film return Silent Night starring Joel Kinnaman; Stefon Bristol’s sophomore film Breathe starring Jennifer Hudson and Milla Jovovich; Ric Waugh’s Kandahar, starring Gerard Butler; Dev Patel’s directorial debut with the revenge thriller Monkey Man, and Jim Strouse’s romantic comedy Love Again, starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Sam Heughan, and featuring original music by Celine Dion. Erica is also working on projects expanding the world of John Wick, including the limited series, The Continental, and the first feature spinoff, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, which recently wrapped production.
ABOUT THE CAST
Keanu Reeves [John Wick, Executive Producer] is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men with a worldwide box office total of over $4.5 billion. As a remarkably eclectic actor, Reeves has made an indelible mark on the world of entertainment through the diverse roles he has played. This year, he will return to the big screen in the highly anticipated fourth installment of the John Wick franchise that is set to be released on March 24, 2023.
Reeves most recently reprised his iconic action role as ‘Neo’ in The Matrix Resurrections in December 2021 and prior to that, he appeared alongside Alex Winter in the long-awaited Bill and Ted Face the Music. He made his comic book-writing debut in 2021 with “BRZRKR,” a twelve-issue and graphic novel limited series distributed through BOOM! Studios, which quickly became the highest-selling original comic book series debut in over 25 years and the highest-funded comic book Kickstarter of all time. His other recent projects include the video game Cyberpunk 2077, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and Always Be My Maybe, and lent his voice to the animated character, Duke Caboom, in Disney’s Toy Story 4.
In 2013, Reeves made his directorial debut and starred in the Tai Chi action film, Man of Tai Chi. Reeves also starred that year in 47 Ronin, an 18th-century story centered on a band of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master. In 2012, the Reeves-produced documentary Side By Side made its debut to critical acclaim. The documentary, which explores the history of filmmaking and the impact of new digital technology, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. In the film, directed by Chris Kenneally, Reeves interviewed some of Hollywood’s major directors including James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, George Lucas, Danny Boyle, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, Lars Von Trier and the Wachowski’s.
His list of credits include The Bad Batch, To the Bone, the blockbuster The Matrix trilogy, Speed, Generation Um, Henry’s Crime, which he both starred in and produced; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee written and directed by Rebecca Miller in a supporting role opposite Robin Wright; The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film, starring opposite Jennifer Connelly; the cop thriller Street Kings opposite Forest Whitaker; The Lake House, a romantic drama starring opposite Sandra Bullock, and A Scanner Darkly, a highly stylized blend of live-action and animation. Reeves also starred in the comic adaptation Constantine, opposite Rachel Weisz, the independent film Thumbsucker and Something’s Gotta Give, a romantic comedy in which he starred opposite Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
Other film credits include Destination Wedding; Knock, Knock; Siberia; Replicas; Exposed; The Neon Demon; The Whole Truth; Hardball; The Gift opposite Cate Blanchett for which he received critical acclaim; Sweet November, The Replacements; A Walk in the Clouds; the hit thriller, The Devil’s Advocate, opposite Al Pacino and Charlize Theron; Little Buddha; and Much Ado about Nothing, opposite Denzel Washington, Emma Thompson and Michael Keaton. Reeves also starred in Bram Stoker’s Dracula; My Own Private Idaho; Point Break; Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Raised in Toronto, Reeves performed in various local theater productions and on television before relocating to Los Angeles. His first widely acclaimed role was in Tim Hunter’s River’s Edge. He then starred in Marisa Silver’s Permanent Record, and with Amy Madigan and Fred Ward in The Prince of Pennsylvania. Yet another turn came when the actor was cast as the innocent Danceny in Stephen Frears’ highly praised Dangerous Liaisons, alongside Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer. He joined other outstanding casts that year in Ron Howard’s comedy, Parenthood, and Lawrence Kasdan’s I Love You to Death. Audiences saw Reeves for the first time as the romantic lead opposite Barbara Hershey in Jon Amiel’s Tune in Tomorrow, also starring Peter Falk. His additional credits include Tri-Star’s sci-fi thriller, Johnny Mnemonic; Andrew Davis’ action film, Chain Reaction; and the dark comedy Feeling Minnesota, directed by Steve Baigelman for New Line Cinema.
Donnie Yen [Caine] Martial Arts movie icon Donnie Yen exploded onto the Hong Kong cinema scene when he starred in director Yuen Woo-ping’s martial arts comedy Drunken Tai Chi, which immediately established him as a viable leading man. He has since become a major figure not only in Chinese Action Cinema but in motion pictures worldwide.
Yen’s cinematic journey includes the hugely popular and acclaimed IP Man film series, the American Box Office hits Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One and xXx: Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel for which Yen received rave critical and audience reviews. He also starred in the Disney Feature Mulan as well as the hit Asian films Dragon City and Raging Fire which he also produced.
Yen recently completed producing, directing and starring in the passion project Sakra, an adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils which Yen characterizes as one of the biggest challenges of his career.
Yen will next be seen starring with Keanu Reeves in the next installment of the popular Lionsgate film franchise JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, for release March 2023.
With his ground-breaking work on and off camera, Donnie Yen is among the exceedingly few actors of his generation to work at the highest levels of both the Chinese and Hollywood film industries. He continues to enthrall and entertain audiences around the globe with the range and depths of his unique talents.
Bill Skarsgård [Marquis] has amassed an impressive resume of diverse roles and continues to fearlessly evolve his body of work. Bill can be seen as the villainous role in the fourth chapter of Chad Stahelski’s John Wick franchise, in which he’ll go toe to toe with Keanu Reeves’ iconic character, coming to theaters this Spring.
Bill will next be seen in the lead role of ‘Boy’ in Universal’s upcoming Boy Kills World, a dystopian fever dream-action film from producer Sam Raimi. He’ll lead a cast that includes Michelle Dockery, Sharlto Copley, and Jessica Rothe. He recently wrapped shooting Rupert Sanders’ remake of The Crow, reprising the role of ‘Eric Draven’ alongside FKA twigs who plays his love interest in the film. He will next star in Robert Eggers’ feature Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 silent film. He will star alongside Lily-Rose Depp. Bill can currently be seen in the hit horror feature Barbarian, which he also produced. The film was the top of the domestic box office during its premiere and grossed $45 million worldwide. He can currently be seen leading Netflix’s upcoming Swedish series, Clark, a biographical crime drama following Bill as the charismatic and notorious Swedish criminal, Clark Olofsson. He can also be seen in Netflix’s film The Devil All The Time, directed by Antonio Campos, where he stars opposite Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Jason Clarke, and Riley Keough. Bill starred in It: Chapter Two, starring opposite Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. The sequel follows the massive success of the first installment of Stephen King’s iconic film It for New Line Cinema, directed by Andres Muschietti. Bill can also be seen in Nine Days, which premiered at Sundance, as well as in Chase Palmer’s Naked Singularity. Bill starred in Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s Villains, in which he stars opposite Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, and Kyra Sedgwick. Previously he appeared as the lead of the JJ Abrams/Bad Robot produced Hulu series, Castle Rock, a psychological horror series based on the literary canon of Stephen King. Bill starred in Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The film garnered incredibly positive reviews and as a result, was the largest sale of the festival. Bill also participated in the highly anticipated Deadpool 2 opposite Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin, in which he plays an important character in the Deadpool universe. In 2017, he played opposite Charlize Theron and James McAvoy in the David Leitch-helmed Atomic Blonde.
Laurence Fishburne [Bowery King] has achieved an impressive body of work as an actor, producer, and director. He starred in his first television show at age ten in the drama One Life to Live, and made his feature film debut at age twelve in Cornbread, Earl and Me. At fifteen, Laurence appeared in Apocalypse Now, the first of many cult classics destined to define his long career.
Fishburne’s versatile acting has won him awards in theatre, film, and television. In 1992, Fishburne won a Tony Award® for his portrayal of Sterling Johnson in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. He won his first Emmy® Award in 1993 for “The Box” episode of Tribeca, and his second for his one-man show, Thurgood, in 1997. In 1993, Laurence also received a Best Actor Oscar® nomination for the Tina Turner biopic, What’s Love Got to Do with It. He was an Emmy® Award nominee and an NAACP Image Award winner for his starring role in the 1997 telefilm Miss Evers’ Boys, which he also executive-produced. Laurence has been nominated 25 times for NAACP Image Awards, with seven wins – most recently in 2021 for “Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series” for #FreeRayshawn. His most recent Emmy® win was also for his role in Quibi’s #FreeRayshawn.
Laurence may be best known for his role as Morpheus in the Wachowksi siblings’ blockbuster The Matrix trilogy, but his many film credits include: Academy Award® nominee John Singleton’s Boyz ‘n the Hood, Richard T. Heffron’s telefilm A Rumor of War, Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, the Steven Zaillian’s Searching for Bobby Fischer, Mr. Singleton’s Higher Learning, Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River and cult classics, Deep Cover and King of New York.
In 2000, Fishburne founded Cinema Gypsy Productions with his longtime manager and producing partner, Helen Sugland. They have produced numerous nominated and award-winning projects including: Thurgood (HBO), Five Fingers (Lionsgate), Akeelah and the Bee (Lionsgate), Once in the Life (Lionsgate), Always Out Numbered (HBO), Hoodlum (United Artists), and Miss Evers Boys (HBO). They produced the ABC-TV hit series black-ish, where Mr. Fishburne starred alongside Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, as well as its current Freeform spinoff, Grown-ish and new ABC spinoff, Mixed-ish. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021, black-ish received Emmy® nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series. The show was also nominated in 2017 and 2018 for a Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Their current endeavor is Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, an animated series based on the popular comic book series, with season 1 premiering on Feb 10, 2023, on Disney Channel and on Disney+ Feb 15.
In 2016, Fishburne starred in Warner Bros.’ blockbuster Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and A&E’s miniseries remake of Roots, alongside Forest Whitaker and Anna Paquin. The Roots remake premiered with universal acclaim, and Fishburne received a 2016 Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Narrator as Alex Haley. Fishburne also appeared in Passengers alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, which was released in December 2016.
Laurence’s other recent releases include: Bronzeville, a 10-episode audio drama written by A History Of Violence scribe Josh Olson and produced with Larenz Tate’s company TateMan Entertainment and Audio HQ. Season 2 of the series premiered on March 16, 2021.
In Madiba, a 2017 miniseries for BET Networks, Laurence portrayed Nelson Mandela in a drama about the politician’s life. In 2017, he appeared in Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying in which he starred with Steve Carell and Bryan Cranston. In 2018, he was seen in Marvel’s Ant Man and The Wasp and recently he reprised his role as the Bowery King in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in May 2019.
Fishburne was last seen in Running with the Devil, Annapurna’s highly anticipated adaptation of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Quibi’s movie in chapter #FreeRayshawn, The Ice Road and Peacock series “MacGruber.”
From 2021-22, Fishburne starred in American Buffalo on Broadway.
This past year he starred in Netflix’s The School for Good & Evil and was an executive producer of “The Cave of Adullam” which aired on ESPN and can be streamed on ESPN+. Releasing in 2023, he will resume his role in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4. He is currently filming FX limited series “The Sterling Affairs,” about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling amid the team’s drive to win a championship under coach Doc Rivers. Recently announced, he is set to star in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.
He recently performed The Autobiography of Malcolm X, that was released on September 10, 2020, on Audible and is a NY Times Bestseller. Fishburne snagged an Audie Award for “Best Male Narrator” for his narration of the audiobook.
Fishburne has served as an Ambassador for UNICEF since 1996. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as Artist of the Year for his Outstanding Contributions to American and International Performing Arts as well as his humanitarian contributions.
Hiroyuki Sanada [Shimazu] is an international star, award-winning actor, and is one of Japan’s most distinguished and celebrated actors of his generation. He has starred in over fifty films and earned a Japan Academy Film Prize for his role in The Twilight Samurai. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film.
With multiple projects being released this year, Sanada’s star continues to rise. He recently starred in the Sony Pictures’ action feature, Bullet Train, opposite Brad Pitt, and Sandra Bullock. The film is directed by David Leitch and follows five assassins who find themselves on a fast-moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka. Recently, Sanada appeared in Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated Army of the Dead for Netflix, a film about a group of mercenaries as they plot a heist on a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak where he plays the casino boss, Bly Tanaka.
He also recently appeared in the James Wan-produced fantasy-action film, Mortal Kombat for Warner Bros., with Hiro playing the part of Scorpion, the most iconic role in the franchise. Both films were incredibly successful and have since announced sequels. Sanada will next appear in MGM’s Minamata, opposite Bill Nighy and Johnny Depp, and directed by Andrew Levitas. The film follows the historic photographer, Eugene Smith, who documented the effects of mercury poisoning on the citizens of Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
For television, Sanada is set to star and produce the remake of the epic Shogun mini-series for FX where he will play the role of Lord Tornaga. The mini-series is based on the best-selling novel by James Clavell.
Sanada’s first major Hollywood appearance was in The Last Samurai opposite Tom Cruise, later appearing in such blockbuster films as The Wolverine, 47 Ronin, and Avengers: Endgame. Sanada’s career is just as impressive on the small screen, having appeared in dozens of shows including the critically acclaimed series Lost, for their 6th and final season, and Westworld Season 2.
He is also an established stage actor, working in both Japanese and British plays and theatre. His role as The Fool in Shakespeare’s King Lear gave him notable theatrical praise and awarded him an honorary MBE for being the first Japanese actor to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RBC).
Sanada’s career in film, television and theater has spanned more than 50 years and he has garnered the attention of both American and foreign audiences alike. His unique ability to embody the roles he takes on has made him one of Hollywood’s most respected and sought-after Asian-American actors working today.
Shamier Anderson [Tracker] continues to command the screen – whether big or small – with his incredible talent showcased in a broad spectrum of work, from critically acclaimed projects to pop culture tentpoles to smart independent features. Anderson was selected as one of Toronto International Film Festival’s Rising Stars in 2019 and handpicked to serve as an official Ambassador at TIFF 2020.
Anderson will next be seen in the highly anticipated new installment of the John Wick franchise, releasing globally on March 24th. He joins Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen and Rina Sawayama. With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick (Reeves) takes his fight against The High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Osaka to Berlin. Production took place on location in France, Germany and Japan.
Also upcoming for Anderson is Mo McRae’s directorial debut A Lot of Nothing opposite Y’Lan Noel and produced by David Oyelowo, as well as Brad Furman’s Tin Soldier, which marks a reunion for Anderson and Furman after his starring role in City of Lies, with a cast that includes Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro.
He recently wrapped production on Season 2 of Simon Kinberg’s Invasion for Apple TV. He stars as Trevante Ward, an American soldier stationed in Afghanistan who’s been separated from his family. The Chicago Times says “Shamier Anderson is all power and bravery and grace…” while Looper says “It’s a performance that often finds Anderson isolated in the desert or acting opposite characters who don’t even speak his character’s language, requiring an ability to command the screen and convey complex emotional arcs without a lot of dialogue. Fortunately, the actor, a veteran of shows like ‘Goliath’ and ‘Wynonna Earp,’ appears more than up to the task.” Season 2 is set to premiere this Summer 2023.
Anderson could most recently be seen in the drama Bruiser, a film about fathers, families, and toxic masculinity. The film was the first narrative film acquisition by Disney’s Onyx Collective and found its debut in 2022 at TIFF, with a December 2022 theatrical release. The film began streaming on Hulu this February 23rd. It’s written by Miles Warren and Ben Medina, directed by Warren and starring Anderson alongside Trevante Rhodes, Jalyn Hall and Shinelle Azoroh.
Anderson is well-known on the small screen, having starred in the popular SyFy series Wynonna Earp as “Agent Dolls”. His other television credits include Soulmates, an anthology series for AMC created by Brett Goldstein; and a series regular role opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid on Season 3 of the hit series Goliath for Amazon, in which he plays the dual role of twins, one of whom is hearing impaired.
His feature film work includes Karyn Kusama’s critically acclaimed film Destroyer, alongside Nicole Kidman; opposite Johnny Depp and Forrest Whittaker in the Brad Furman directed City of Lies for Open Road Films; with Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan, and Jamie Dornan in the Drake Doremus directed feature Endings, Beginnings; in the sci-fi thriller Awake alongside Gina Rodriguez for Netflix; in the Spike Lee produced feature Son of the South of which Variety says of his performance “And Shamier Anderson steals every scene that isn’t bolted to the floor as Reggie…”; and most recently in Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised, which premiered at the AFI Film Festival to critical acclaim.
According to Chris Witherspoon of Today, “Shamier Anderson, he is brilliant. He really steals the film” in the outer space four-hander Stowaway opposite Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette and Daniel Dae Kim, directed by Joe Penna for XYZ Films.
In addition to his work in front of the camera, Anderson will co-produce the comedy feature film Super High, alongside the Lonely Island team, based on a story he wrote with Adam Mansbach. In a very competitive situation, New Line prevailed in winning the rights to the film, which will star Andy Samberg, Craig Robinson and Common. Anderson and his brother Stephan James recently signed a first-look deal with global entertainment company, Boat Rocker Media. They will develop and produce original television projects via their Bay Mills Studio.
Anderson sits on the Board of Directors for The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition, and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media. Along with Stephan James, Anderson also launched The Black Academy, an organization that is the first of its kind in Canada, created to celebrate, showcase, promote, elevate, and inspire Black talent in Canada. The organization will provide year-round community programming, as well as serve as the infrastructure behind Canada’s first ever televised Black Award Show, The Legacy Awards. The Legacy Awards was broadcast nationally on CBC on September 25, 2022 to great celebration across the country. For this work, Playback Magazine named them Changemakers of the Year 2022.
Anderson grew up in Scarborough, Ontario with his single mother, who immigrated from Jamaica. Anderson divides his time between Los Angeles and Toronto.
Lance Reddick [Charon], known for the John Wick franchise and HBO’s The Wire, has several projects on tap, including 20th Century’s remake of White Men Can’t Jump and Shirley, Netflix’s biopic of former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. The fourth John Wick movie, with Reddick reprising his role as Continental Hotel concierge Charon, is also slated for release on March 24th. He will additionally be seen in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina as well as The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial from Paramount Global and Showtime.
Reddick starred in Netflix’s Resident Evil series last year and was a regular on Prime Video’s Bosch throughout its seven-season run. Along with The Wire, where he played Baltimore Police Col. Cedric Daniels, his TV credits include regular roles on Fringe and Comedy Central’s Corporate and recurring parts on American Horror Story, Oz and Lost. He earned a SAG Award® nomination in 2021 as part of the ensemble for Regina King’s film One Night in Miami.
The actor’s distinctive voice has also led to work in video games (Destiny 2, Horizon Zero Dawn) and animation (Netflix’s Paradise PD and Castlevania).
Rina Sawayama [Akira] makes her feature film debut in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, after establishing herself as a singer.
Releasing her critically acclaimed debut album SAWAYAMA in the height of a global pandemic was a brave decision for Sawayama to make, however her leap of faith paid off in leaps and bounds. The much-applauded alternative-pop album has amassed over 100 million worldwide streams since release and ranked in over 50 album of the year lists for 2020, including New York Times (#2), The Guardian (#3), Dazed (#2), Rough Trade (#3), Rolling Stone (#6), Vogue (#14), NME (#7) and a prominent feature in the BBC’s Albums of the Year. Sawayama graced the covers of Time Out London, Attitude Magazine, King Kong, Crash, DIY and more. But her place as a true popstar was truly cemented at the end of 2020 when she made her TV debut performing single XS on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
SAWAYAMA was years in the making “I wanted to make sure it was the debut I wanted to make” she says, “and I wanted it to be an experience. I want this album to take people on a journey.” For Sawayama, no genre is off-limits, be it the early 00s boyband-era pop bangers that peppered 2017’s celebrated mini-album, RINA; 2018’s soulful pansexual anthem, Cherry or the nu-metal smash STFU! from her critically acclaimed debut album SAWAYAMA. It’s this daring attitude that’s seen her being hailed as the ‘future of pop’ and join the upper echelons of left-field pop’s current premier league, a move further augmented via multiple sold-out headline shows, support slots with Years & Years and Charli XCX and a highly anticipated headline tour in 2021.
Born in Japan but raised by her single mum in North London, she’s always had to fight that little bit harder. Even when her determination and obvious intelligence landed her a place at Cambridge University studying politics, psychology and sociology, she had to put up with bullying and countless micro-aggressions, the continuation of the latter inspiring the pent-up aggression of STFU! and its tongue-and-cheek video. When she graduated and subsequently turned down countless high-paid city jobs, much to her mum’s chagrin, she funded her early music by modeling, working her way to the top of an industry with its own problems around race. Even in recent years – despite her hyper-modern bops being written about by the likes of Fader, The Guardian, Paper and the New York Times – she’s relied on her side projects as a way of funding her real passion: music. “I’ve done a lot of brand campaigns recently that I’ve worked around tours and recording,” she says. “It’s great, I’m so lucky, but truth be told I didn’t keep any of that money, it just went right back into the music. I realized I hadn’t saved anything.” And that’s why her chosen record label home, Dirty Hit, is so important. There’s only so much a self-confessed “typical freelance Londoner” can do.
SAWAYAMA saw Rina work with regular collaborator Clarence Clarity in London, and in LA with the likes of Bram Inscore (Troye Sivan), BloodPop (Lady Gaga), Nate Company (Carly Rae Jepsen) and Nicole Morier (Britney). “I wanted to make the songs better and push myself constantly,” she says of working with new collaborators, a list that also includes Danny L Harle, Lauren Aquilina and Jonny Lattimer.
“People always want the same thing, but I didn’t want to do it.” Throughout the record, Sawayama touched on many personal themes. “Previously I’ve put this sort of societal angle on it, because that pleases me, trying to take my story and make it into a bigger thing,” she explains. “But I’ve been using music quite therapeutically recently, to understand things that are happening in my life.”
Rounding off 2020, Sawayama released the deluxe version of SAWAYAMA which provided a further extension of the already esteemed debut. The extended version of the album featured the addictive BloodPop (Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber) produced single LUCID, which married Rina’s mesmeric vocals with a kaleidoscopic-like dance soundscape. Other fan favorites are also included in the deluxe edition like XS ft Bree Runway, Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys) Pabllo Vittar Remix and cover The 1975’s Love it If We Made It, alongside previously unreleased tracks: We Out Here, which highlights the resilience and being true to yourself, whilst Bees & Honey serves future nostalgia and emphasizes the need to celebrate hard work.
In 2021 the momentum has only continued to climb as she released a new rendition of “Chosen Family” featuring Elton John, graced the cover of The New York Times T Magazine as well as Billboard’s June Pride issue, and delivered an incredible Tiny Desk performance with NPR proclaiming, “As usual, Rina Sawayama is one step ahead of us.” Sawayama also delivered a stunning rendition of “Free Woman” for Lady Gaga’s Dawn of Chromatica remix album and participated in Metallica’s The Metallica Blacklist album with a rendition of “Enter Sandman” alongside covers by Miley Cyrus, J Balvin, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Rina Sawayama, aka pop’s brightest new superstar, has reigned supreme over the last couple of years, but strap in, as things have only just begun.
Scott Adkins [Killa] attended Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield. Probably not the best of students, he used to sneak downstairs after his parents had gone to bed and watch films all night, then fall asleep during lessons. A natural athlete, Adkins enjoyed a variety of sports as he grew up, but when he was 10 years old, he accompanied his father and brother to the local Judo club.
Idolizing stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adkins began to train daily. He turned his dad’s garage into his own Dojo, complete with a shrine to Bruce Lee. He remembers being mugged on a bus when he was around 13 and that really kicked his training into overdrive. He wasn’t ever going to let that happen again. At the age of 14, Adkins went on to train in Tae Kwon Do under the instruction of Ron Sergiew with the T.A.G.B. After a few years he moved on to Kickboxing under Anthony Jones. He is now a fully trained Kickboxing Instructor for the P.K.A. Adkins also studied and some different styles of Kung Fu. He has also picked up Ninjitsu, Judo, Jiujitsu and Karate, which you can see in his movies.
Although mostly known for his work in action films, Adkins was also regular on many TV shows in Great Britain. A self-confessed film junkie, Adkins’s attention was drawn to acting through the Hollywood greats. He enrolled in a drama class at Sutton Coldfield College. Being a shy lad, he initially found it difficult to be put on stage in front of an audience. Finally, at the age of 21, Adkins was offered a place at the prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. However, as an impoverished student he found it hard to make ends meet without a grant and was forced to leave without completing the course. Very dejected, he thought that was the end.
His first break came when he was offered a role in a Hong Kong martial arts film called Extreme Challenge. Spotted by the Head of The Hong Kong Stuntmen Association and director Stephen Tung Wai and English born Hong Kong movie expert Bey Logan, Adkins found himself in the East for the first time. Adkins got the chance to work with some of Hong Kong cinema’s leading action directors including Yeun Wo Ping, Cory Yeun, Sammo Hung and the legendary Jackie Chan. Acting roles started to come in and he was offered a guest role in BBC’s Doctors filmed at Birmingham’s Pebble Mill. A few episodes in BBC’s Eastenders, and City Central, and a lead role in Sky One comedy drama Mile High, followed by a regular role in BBC’s Holby City as Bradley Hume, the assistant General Manager of Holby General.
Starring roles in feature films soon followed with his portrayal of Talbot in Special Forces, and Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. That film broke him into the mainstream with his villainous portrayal of a Russian MMA underground fighter Boyka in what has been hailed as one of the best American-made Martial Arts films of recent times. The movie has some unbelievable heart-stopping fight scenes and the total package of Adkins’s incredible movies, his looks and his acting skills were the reason that after this Adkins has had guest starring roles in bigger budget films like The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Tournament, and as Weapon XI in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Adkins’ first lead role came with Ninja, and was soon followed with Undisputed III: Redemption, where he reprised his role as Russian MMA fighter Uri Boyka.
His trademark is undoubtedly his spectacular martial arts performance. Many of the movie stunts he’s doing by himself. Adkins worked frequently together with other well-known action heroes such as Dolph Lundgren, Kevin Costner, Sacha Baron Cohen and in four movies with Jean-Claude Van Damme. In Expendables II Adkins worked also together with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Adkins delivers much more than martial arts and hardcore action films. By the time of shooting The Expendables (2011), Adkins’s knee was in a terrible state, so Adkins had to get surgery and really could not stress it. The medical said: “You can’t go 100% with your knee for the next nine months.” Adkins had torn his ACL so he was trying not to do many martial arts at that time and that is one of the reasons for the many gunfights in El Gringo, although it was always going to be that kind of film. Also in the movie Tomb of the Dragon there are no fights, also to give Adkins’s knee more rest. It was a straight-acting role for Adkins, just trying to stretch himself and do different things. Other different kinds of movies are Home Invasion (thriller), Re-Kill (horror), and Doctor Strange (Fantasy, Adventure, Sci-Fi).
Adkins also did an action movie set at the Burmese border. In Ninja Shadow of a Tear, he painted bright red with the copious blood of mutilated Asian corpses, just like in Sylvester Stallone’s masterpiece Rambo in the past. With the scenario of a one-man army using his superior mind and his bare hands, he overcomes betrayal and dominates a scary exotic Eastern land. He destroyed a whole army in Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning in a very brutal manner. He also starred in the TV series Metal Hurlant Chronicles: Second Chance.
Adkins is married to Lisa Adkins and together they have two children, daughter Carmel and son Joshua Jack. He was born in Sutton Coldfield, England into a family that for generations were butchers. Along with his elder brother Craig, he was raised by John and Janet Adkins, a loving middle-class family. His grandmother was of Spanish descent.
Clancy Brown [Harbinger] began his acting career in Chicago theater and continued to perform on stage locally until he won the role of Viking, a nasty prison inmate, in the 1983 feature film Bad Boys starring Sean Penn. He has gone on to star in many motion pictures; among them is the multiple Oscar®-nominated film The Shawshank Redemption, as well as Chappaquiddick, Thor: Ragnarok, Cowboys and Aliens, The Guardian, Starship Troopers, Blue Steel, Shoot to Kill, Extreme Prejudice, and the cult classic Highlander. Brown most recently played Carey Mulligan’s father, Stanley Thomas, in the Oscar®-winning film Promising Young Woman.
Some of Brown’s recent television credits include Dexter: New Blood, playing Michael C. Hall’s nemesis, Kurt Caldwell, in what has become Showtime’s most-watched show. He guest-starred as LBJ on the hit Netflix series The Crown and as Burg in Chapter 6 of the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Previously he starred in HBO’s Emmy® award-winning series Carnivale, and the NBC series Earth 2. He has also had major recurring roles on Billions, The Goldbergs, Chicago P.D., Sleepy Hollow, and ER.
Brown has a prolific career as a voice actor. Just a few highlights are voicing “Mr. Krabs,” for the past 23 years in Nickelodeon’s iconic hit series SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as the SpongeBob feature film franchise. He is a fan-favorite in the DC Animation Universe for his portrayal of Lex Luthor and as the inimitable Detective Hank Anderson in Quantic Dream’s popular game Detroit: Become Human. The hit game surpasses 8 million copies sold. Most recently he has been heard on Amazon’s animated series, Invincible.
Ian McShane [Winston] At an age when many successful thespians turn to cameo appearances and character parts, Ian, continues to add to his storied career (which dates back to 1962) as a leading actor. Next, he will lend his voice to the Netflix animated film My Father’s Dragon, based on the award-winning book of the same name. McShane will also soon be seen starring in Paramount+ Australia’s drama Last King Of The Cross. He takes on the role of Ezra Shipman, the lead antagonist in the series, opposite Lincoln Younes.
Then, in 2023, McShane will return to the big screen and reprise his role as Winston for the fourth time in the latest installment of director Chad Stahelski’s action franchise, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4. His portrayal of the sophisticated and charming caretaker of the assassins-only Tribeca hotel will mark his third appearance in the franchise, starring Keanu Reeves.
In 2021, McShane wrapped the third and final season (as star and executive producer) on the hit Starz series, American Gods, the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel. As Mr. Wednesday, a shifty, silver-tongued conman, he masks his true identity — that of the Norse god of war, Odin, who’s assembling a team of elders to bring down the new false idols. A series McShane called “like nothing else I’ve seen on television.”’
It’s a comment that also befits McShane’s critically acclaimed role of the charismatic, menacing and lawless 19th-century brothel-and-bar keep, Al Swearengen, in the profound and profane HBO western series Deadwood, which ran for just 36 episodes over three seasons from 2004-06. For his work on the series’ second season, McShane won the 2005 Golden Globe® Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama (in addition to Emmy® and Screen Actors Guild Award® nominations as Outstanding Lead Dramatic Actor). He also received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama for his work in the show’s debut season (with a second nomination in 2005). It is a role and performance the New York Times dubbed “one of the most interesting villains on television.” An online poll called Swearengen a more compelling onscreen gangster over the likes of Tony Soprano and Michael Corleone. After a twelve-year hiatus from portraying maybe his most iconic character (“it was the most satisfyingly creative three years of my professional career” he says), McShane reprises the unforgettable rogue when HBO resurrects the 1870s western in a two-hour telefilm premiering in May 2019.
No stranger to the big screen, in 2019, McShane’s range of talent was on full display as he starred in three very different roles. First, he was seen alongside David Harbour in Neil Marshall’s reimagined comic book epic, Hellboy. Then, following the action blockbuster, he co-starred with Gary Carr in the Dan Pritzker drama, Bolden, the biopic of musician Buddy Bolden, the father of jazz and a key figure in the development of ragtime music (McShane portrayed Bolden’s nemesis, Judge Perry). Finally, he reunited with Keanu Reeves for the third installment of the highly-anticipated action trilogy, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and will soon return as Winston in the franchise’s upcoming JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 in March of 2023.
Years before his triumphant role in Deadwood, McShane had compiled a long and diverse career on both British and American television. He produced and starred in the acclaimed series Lovejoy for the BBC (and A&E in the U.S.), directing several episodes during the show’s lengthy run. The popular Sunday night comedy (which attracted 16 million viewers weekly during its run from 1986-94) saw McShane in the title role of an irresistible, roguish Suffolk antiques dealer. He would reunite with the BBC by producing and starring in the darker and more serious comedy-drama in the title role of Madson.
He collected a second Golden Globe® nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries for his portrayal of the scheming Waleran Bigod in Starz’s! Emmy®-nominated Pillars of the Earth. The production, which originated on the U.K.’s Channel 4, was based on Ken Follett’s bestselling historic novel about the building of a 12th-century cathedral during the time known as “the Anarchy” after King Henry I had lost his only son in the White Ship disaster of 1120. It’s a character McShane says “would fit into the Vatican.”
He is also well-known to TV audiences for his roles in FX’s American Horror Story, Showtime’s Ray Donovan and, more recently, ITV’s Dr. Thorne, and HBO’s juggernaut, Game of Thrones (“I loved the character and did it because my three grandkids, big fans of the show, wouldn’t have forgiven me if I hadn’t”). He first worked with American Gods producer Michael Green on the short-lived NBC drama, Kings, a show (inspired by the legend of King David) he calls “far too revolutionary for network television.”
Other notable small screen roles include his appearance in David Wolper’s landmark miniseries Roots (as the British cockfighting aficionado), Whose Life Is it Anyway?, Heathcliff in the 1967 miniseries Wuthering Heights, and Harold Pinter’s Emmy®-winning The Caretaker. McShane has also played a variety of real-life subjects like Sejanus in the miniseries A.D., the title role of Masterpiece Theater’s Disraeli: Portrait of A Romantic, and Judas in NBC’s Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
McShane, who shows no signs of slowing down in a career now entrenched in its sixth decade (“acting is the only business where the older you get, the parts and the pay get better”), began his career during Britain’s New Wave Cinema of the early 1960s. He landed his first lead role in the 1962 English feature The Wild and the Willing, which also starred another acting upstart and fellow Brit — McShane’s lifelong friend, the late John Hurt. McShane later revealed that he had ditched class at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to audition for the role.
Since that 1962 motion picture debut, McShane has enjoyed a fabulous run of character roles such as the sinister Cockney mobster, Teddy Bass, opposite Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast; the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, alongside Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; and Richard Burton’s bi-sexual partner, Wolfie, in the 1971 heist film, Villain. He gave Hayley Mills her first onscreen kiss as a smoldering gypsy in 1965’s Sky West and Crooked, was part of the stellar ensemble cast (James Mason, James Coburn, Dyan Cannon) in the Stephen Sondheim-Anthony Perkins scripted big screen mystery, The Last of Sheila, and played a retired sheriff with a violent past opposite Patrick Wilson in the gritty drama, The Hollow Point.
Other film credits include Guy Hamilton’s all-star WWII epic The Battle of Britain, the romantic comedy If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, Pottersville with Michael Shannon, Hercules with Dwayne Johnson, Snow White and the Huntsman and Jawbone (reuniting with fellow Brit Ray Winstone in both), Jack the Giant Slayer, Woody Allen’s Scoop, Rodrigo Garcia’s indie drama Nine Lives (Gotham Award nominee for Best Ensemble Performance), and the darkly perverse crime drama 44 Inch Chest, a film in which McShane not only starred but also produced.
While also making his professional theatre debut in 1962 (Infanticide in the House of Fred August, Arts Theatre, London), McShane appeared onstage a few years later in the lead role of the impish hero who hides the proceeds from a robbery in his mother’s coffin in the original 1965 production of Joe Orton’s Loot. Two years later, he starred alongside Ian McKellen and Judi Dench in the hit stage play, The Promise, a production which transferred to Broadway in 1967 (with Eileen Atkins replacing Dench). He would return to Broadway one more time forty years later (2008), coincidentally starring in the 40th-anniversary staging of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming, for which he shared a Drama Desk Award as Best Cast Ensemble.
McShane also returned to the West End boards in 2000, charming audiences as the seductive, sex-obsessed Darryl Van Horne while making his musical stage debut in Cameron Mackintosh’s The Witches of Eastwick, an adaptation of the 1987 film. At the esteemed Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles, he appeared in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, and John Osborne’s Inadmissible Evidence, earning a pair of Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Awards for Lead Performance in the process. He also starred in the world premiere of Larry Atlas’ Yield of the Long Bond.
In addition to his work in front of the camera, McShane is also well-known for his voiceover work, with his low, distinctive baritone on display in a variety of projects. He voiced the eccentric magician, Mr. Bobinsky, in Henry Selick’s award-nominated Coraline (scripted by American Gods author Neil Gaiman), lent a sinister air to Tai Lung, the snow leopard adept at martial arts, in Kung Fu Panda (Annie Award nominee), and created the notorious Captain Hook in Shrek the Third. He also narrated Grace Jones’
1985 album, Slave to the Rhythm, succumbing to producer Trevor Horn’s request to take the job because, per Horn,” Orson Welles was dead, and I needed a voice.” The album sold over a million copies worldwide. In the virtual reality domain, he recently lent his voice to the award- winning VR animated short Age of Sail in the role of the elderly sailor, William Avery, adrift alone in the North Atlantic.
After almost sixty years entertaining audiences across the performance spectrum, McShane admits he did not set out for a career in the footlights while growing up in Manchester, England (he was actually born in Blackburn). It was by unexpected circumstances after McShane broke his leg playing soccer that he ended up performing in the school play production of Cyrano De Bergerac where he met his life-long friend and teacher, Leslie Ryder. Before he knew it, he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Arts where he was accepted and then left a term early to appear in the film The Wild and The Willing.
Marko Zaror [Chidi] is a Chilean martial arts action star and fight choreographer, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. His career began as a young boy with a passion for martial arts and fighting, inspired by Bruce Lee. At the age of six he started training himself, and by the age of 18 Marko had become an exceptional martial artist.
Zaror gained international notoriety as lead and producer of indie action cult films: Kitro, Mirageman, Mandrill and Redeemer, which all premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas where they achieved international and domestic distribution.
In his first American film, he was nominated for best villain with his performance of Dolor in Isaac Florentine’s Undisputed 3, where he earned worldwide fans for his physical skills and acting.
His big break was when Robert Rodriguez discovered and wrote him a role in Machete Kills. Since then, Zaror has developed a promising career with several performances in series and movies that include: the series From Dusk Till Dawn with the epic character of Zolo, and the alliance of Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron in Alita: Battle Angel.
Natalia Tena [Katia] is an English actress and musician, best-known to worldwide audiences for her role as Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series; and for playing the wildling Osha in the HBO series Games of Thrones.
Among her many credits are the feature film About A Boy; the television series Origin, and Wolfe, as well as an appearance in an episode of The Mandalorian.
Tena is also the lead singer and accordionist of the band Molotov Jukebox. In the spring of 2014, the band released their debut album Carnival Flower, featuring the single Neon Lights. Their second studio album Tropical Gypsy was released in 2016 and included the single Pineapple Girl.
She currently lives in London.
ABOUT THE CREW
Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF [Director of Photography], a native of Denmark, Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF, is an Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer with more than 60 international productions to his name. He has received a myriad of awards for his work in feature films, television movies, and documentaries.
Laustsen’s interest in photography was awakened in his teen years when, inspired by the stylish
black & white imagery in popular magazines, he saved enough money to purchase his first still photography camera. A few years later, he enrolled in a program for fashion photography, but by the
end of the program, Laustsen had lost his interest in fashion photography, desiring instead to shoot documentary films with the goal of someday working for National Geographic. It was then that he enrolled in the Danish Film School to learn the art of motion picture photography.
Decades later, Laustsen’s diverse accomplishments in film and television include two Academy Award® nominations for Best Cinematography for his work with director Guillermo Del Toro on Nightmare Alley (2021) and The Shape of Water (2017), following their previous collaborations on Mimic and Crimson Peak. Laustsen also garnered acclaim for his marriage of beautiful lighting with high-energy action sequences on Lionsgate’s blockbuster series, John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves. Other notable works include The Brotherhood of the Wolf, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Silent Hill, Solomon Kane, Nomad: The Warrior, Running Free, and I Am Dina. He recently completed production on the feature film musical, The Color Purple, for director Blitz Bazawule and Warner Bros.
Honors include multiple Danish Film Awards for Best Cinematography and a Guldbagge Award nomination from the Swedish Film Academy for Best Cinematography on Lisa Ohlin’s Simon and the Oaks. In 2007, Laustsen received Nordisk Film’s special Erik Balling Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements as a cinematographer.
He is a member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and the Danish Association of Cinematographers (DFF).
Kevin Kavanaugh [Production Designer] is known for the John Wick films, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), Without Remorse (2020), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Only The Brave (2017), Roman J, Israel, Esq. (2017), Nightcrawler (2014) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). He has worked with such industry titans as Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams, Roger Donaldson, and Dan Gilroy. Throughout his career he has won and been nominated for numerous accolades, including winning the Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design for The X-Files and The Dark Knight. Kevin was raised in Southern California and lives near Pasadena with his wife and two kids.
Nathan Orloff [Editor] is an American Editor working in Feature Films. He has quickly amassed an impressive array of credits across the medium and gained significant acclaim for his work on award winning projects. Nathan got his start editing several short films for directors including Morgan Dameron and Zao Wang. From there, he worked as an Assistant Editor on J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness, as well as a Digital Intermediate Supervisor on Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He has worked as an Associate or Additional Editor on such projects as Tully and The Front Runner, both directed by Jason Reitman, and Overlord and Samaritan, both directed by Julius Avery. More recently, Nathan served as Editor on Christopher Winterbauer’s WYRM, Natalie Morales’ Plan B, Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Chad Stahelski’s JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, set to hit theaters in March 2023. You’ll be able to catch his most recent work on the upcoming second chapter in the Ghostbusters universe, Firehouse.
Paco Delgado [Costume Designer] has earned numerous Academy Award®, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, Costume Designers Guild, and Satellite Award nominations throughout his career in the film industry, which has spanned for more than 20 years.
Paco has been a frequent collaborator of Writer/Director Álex de la Iglesia; to date, they have worked on five films together, from 800 Bullets in 2002 to Witching And Bitching in 2013. He has worked with Writer/Director Pedro Almodóvar on two films – Bad Education and The Skin I Live In, the latter for which he received a Goya Award nomination. Delgado also won Goya, Gaudí and European Film Award from the European Academy of Cinema for his costume designs on the black-and-white film Blancanieves [Snow White] for Writer/Director Pablo Berger. His work on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful, starring Javier Bardem, earned him an Ariel Award nomination.
Paco has been working with many acclaimed directors. He designed the costumes for the second and third installments in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable trilogy, Split and Glass. His fantastical designs can be seen in the Disney film A Wrinkle In Time, directed by Ava DuVernay and based on the children’s novel. Jaume Collet-Serra’s Jungle Cruise, based on the Disney theme park ride, also showcases Paco’s designs. Recently he has designed Death On The Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, directed by Chad Stahelski, and The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, directed by Tom Gormican. Paco’s Last work is the 20th Century / Disney film The First Omen, directed by Arkasha Stevens.
Next upcoming project is a new film directed by David Ayer, the Sniper and the Gunsmith.
Most notably, Paco received Academy Award® and BAFTA nominations for his costume designs in Tom Hooper’s films Les Misérables and The Danish Girl, the latter for which he also received a Costume Designers Guild Award.
In addition to his many feature film accomplishments, Delgado is also a prolific costume designer for opera and theater productions. Drawing inspiration from the fashions of Greece, Rome, the Spanish Court of Philip II, and the 1930s, Delgado counts among his many influences: Velazquez, Goya, Ingres, Manet, Picasso, Rothko, Bill Viola, Murnau, Max Ophüls, Renoir, Billy Wilder, Preminger, Bach, Phillip Glass, Shakespeare, and Calderón de la Barca.
Based in Madrid, Spain, Paco is fluent in English, Spanish, Catalan, French and basic German. He studied set and costume design at Institut del Teatre in Barcelona and completed a master’s degree at Motley Theatre Design School in London.
Paco Delgado is a member of the Spanish cinema syndicate TACE, the Costume Designers Guild in LA (CDG), the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the European Film Academy (EFA).
He is represented by William Morris Endeavor.
Jen Malone [Music Supervisor] started her career as a music publicist back in 2000 when she founded Black & White PR, a boutique indie rock public relations firm out of Boston. In 2009 Malone moved out to LA to pursue a career in music supervision by starting from the bottom with an internship at Format Entertainment with renowned music supervisor Dave Jordan. She soon transitioned to become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after film and television music supervisors.
Her all-female full-service music supervision company, Black & White Music, has created some of the most iconic needle drops in recent history. Credits include Wednesday, Euphoria, Atlanta, Yellowjackets (Season 1), Umbrella Academy, ZOLA, WeCrashed, The Offer, and JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 to name a few.
Her placements have garnered unprecedented bumps, Shazam surges and social media trends for artists around the globe. Her work on Euphoria alone brought bumps of up to 2,316% and Shazam searches surged up to 10,000% for its featured songs. She was also integral to the success of Netflix’s 2nd biggest show Wednesday and the TikTok phenom featuring the song Goo Goo Muck. Last summer 9 out the 10 most searched songs on Shazam from TV shows were music supervised by Malone.
In 2018 she was nominated for an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Music Supervision for Atlanta and again in 2020 and 2022 for Euphoria. She was awarded the Guild of Music Supervisor Award for Best Music Supervision – Drama for her work in Euphoria in 2019 and most recently won Best Music Supervision – Film Budgeted Under 5 million, for Zola in addition to a nomination for Malcolm and Marie in the same category.
Andrew Simpson [Animal Coordinator] is a world-renowned animal trainer who has worked with animals in the film industry for close to 30 years. His company, Instinct Animals for Film, is based in Alberta, Canada.
Throughout his career, Simpson has trained animals in more than 150 films with credits including The Revenant, Braveheart, Elf, I- Robot, Borat, Loup, The Belle & Sebastian Trilogy, Alpha and Wolf Totem.
He has also worked extensively across Game of Thrones as the hit series’ Wolf Coordinator for which he received an Honour from the Primetime Emmy® Awards. Simpson’s Arctic wolf, Quigley, was cast as Ghost in the HBO fantasy drama along with Nymeria and the other character wolves.
Simpsons specialized work with wolves can be seen in his self-produced documentary series ‘Wolves Unleashed’, which has won over 25 international film awards.
Most recently, Simpson spent 18 months raising and training two African Lions along with a pack of wolves for Gilles de Maistre’s The Wolf And The Lion.
In addition to working with wolves, Simpson pushes the cinematic boundaries on film with Belgian Malinois dogs. His unique work with them can be seen in Operation Mekong (for China), DOG (the new film for Channing Tatum) and in the John Wick franchise (Lionsgate).
Simpsons mottos are simple; live your life, not the life someone else thinks you should live. Have dreams and goals and chase them till you catch them, and then make more. Treat others as you wish to be treated and be kind to all living things, Karma is real.
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CREDITS
Directed by
Chad Stahelski
Written by
Shay Hatten and Michael Finch
Based on Characters Created by
Derek Kolstad
Produced by
Basil Iwanyk
Erica Lee
Chad Stahelski
Executive Producers
Keanu Reeves
Louise Rosner
Executive Producers
David Leitch
Michael Paseornek
Director of Photography
Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF
Production Designer
Kevin Kavanaugh
Edited by
Nathan Orloff
Costume Designer
Paco Delgado
Music by
Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard
Music Supervisor
Jen Malone
Visual Effects Supervisors
Jonathan Rothbart
Janelle Croshaw
Casting by
Kharmel Cochrane
Keanu Reeves
Donnie Yen
Bill Skarsgård
Laurence Fishburne
Hiroyuki Sanada
Shamier Anderson
Lance Reddick
Rina Sawayama
Scott Adkins
Clancy Brown
and Ian McShane
Marko Zaror Natalia Tena
Lionsgate Presents
A
Thunder Road Films
Production
An
87eleven
Production
A Film by
Chad Stahelski
The film is a must-see for fans of the franchise as, while offering many fresh ideas, it is a culmination of the first three movies, bringing the story to a peak.
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 is locally distributed by Filmfinity Pty (Ltd.) and opens in cinemas on 24 March 2023.
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05TQe27WsHI
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
FILMFINITY
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamFinityZA/
Twitter: @TeamFinityZA
Instagram: @teamfinityza
PUBLICITY & MARKETING
Starburst Promotions
Alishia van Deventer
Cell: 083 635 4717
E-mail: alishia@starburstmusic.co.za
Website: www.starburstmusic.co.za
