John Wickis now a name and title that sends shivers down the spines of the criminal underworld, and sends excitement through the minds of moviegoers. The title has already become so recognizable that it is hard to believe that the first movie, and therefore franchise, was not always intended to be named after the dog-loving, head-shot maestro we have all come to know and love. No, according toJohn Wickfranchise screenwriter Derek Kolstad, the first movie had an entirely different title, and it was only changed because star Keanu Reeves kept messing it up.
“The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick. Marketing was like, ‘Dude, that’s four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it’s John Wick instead of Scorn.’ I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.”
In fairness,Scornis not a bad title and could work well as the subtitle forJohn Wick 4, but it inarguably does not have the impact ofJohn Wick. The one-two punch of a name that only acinematic assassincould have, the titleJohn Wicktells you everything you need to know about the movie you’re about to watch. Besides, does the wordScornreally convey enough the calculated, savage vendetta that Wick carries out over the death of his dog? No, no it does not.
So, thanks toKeanu Reeves, the action franchise was gifted with the title that it should have been given all along. Add that to the ever-growing list of amazing things that Reeves has done for humanity that we as a species will never be able to repay.
Currently, the title of thefourth John Wick moviehas not yet been revealed, and according to Kolstad this decision will likely come down to director Chad Stahelski, who ended up choosing the name for the third movie in the franchise.
“I have no idea. Parabellum was Chad’s and I love it. Chapter Two was, I think, I might’ve just put it in the heading.”
It is a testament to Kolstad’s talent that he allowedScornto be cast aside willingly, and has now made such a success of theJohn Wickfranchise. Realizing thatJohn Wickwas the better title has led to both the name and character cementing themselves as anintegral part of modern pop culture. According to Kolstad, this kind of branding will play a crucial part when it comes to the movie industry reopening following the current global circumstances.
“But I think everyone out here has been a little bit rattled by what productions are going to look like, what movies are going to look like. And yet, when you look at IP, when you look at a successful franchise, it becomes all the more important and all the more important reason to do it well.”
Action movie fans cannot wait to see the continuing adventures of Wick, but sadly we’re all going to have a wait a little bit longer asJohn Wick 4is not due for release until July 13, 2025, having been delayed. This comes to us fromComicbook.com.
