John Wick is hailed by many as a masterpiece in the neo-noir action thriller genre. Chad Stahelski has intricately crafted a media franchise that offers its audiences the most hype-worthy premises. However, before fans of the film series could enthusiastically relish the first installment in 2014, both the director and the leading actor of the endeavor, Keanu Reeves, were met with a lackluster reception after the film’s first test screening.
Keanu Reeves stars as the titular hitman in John Wick

Who would have imagined that one of the most well-known contemporary movie series would experience a rough beginning? Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stahelski delved deeper into the situation that had transpired after the first test screening. Despite feeling concerned about the lukewarm results, the team decided to proceed with whatever they had come up with.

And that had done the trick, much to Stahelski’s disbelief.

John Wick‘s First Test Screening Failed To Resonate With People

American stuntman and film director Chad Stahelski
Speaking to Josh Horowitz, Chad Stahelski reflected on the humble beginning of John Wick. When the 2014 film’s first test screening was carried out, friends and family weren’t too enthusiastic about it. There was barely any applause. Any feedback that came subsequently lacked weight. Stahelski and his team thought they were done for. However, the director refused to give up. He was determined to incorporate everything that he had wanted to see in the endeavor and refrained from growing apprehensive.

Take a look:
“We had done our first test screening… friends and family kinda thing. You show people you know. And, uh, there wasn’t a lot of applause. People were like, ‘Yeah… Good job, guys,’ and they kinda scooted out, and we’re like, ‘Uh yeah, we’re done,’”
John Wick (2014)

The initial dejection transitioned into a “come-to-God moment” that the director and his team shared with Keanu Reeves. They had an eye-opening realization. Without changing anything, the filmmaker embraced the first John Wick film in all its glory. Following is what he said:
“We had a come-to-God moment with Keanu and we were like, ‘We’re not changing this. We’re gonna own it. We’re gonna do our headshots. We’re gonna do our wacky choreography. We’re gonna do what we wanted and what we saw. We’re not gonna get nervous.’ So, we finished it as best we could.”
Choosing to stick with what they made without incorporating any modifications ultimately led to what the director didn’t expect. The public screening of the film after its debut garnered immense appreciation. It’s safe to say that Chad Stahelski was surprised by the support that viewers ultimately gave the action-thriller narrative.

The Positive Reception Shocked Director Chad Stahelski

Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski
Stahelski continued the anecdote. He revealed that during the film’s opening night, he had snuck into the theatre with Keanu Reeves and co-director and producer David Leitch, presumably to observe the audience’s reactions. Much to the director’s surprise, the people present at the public screening seemed to enjoy the film thoroughly.

This time around, the narrative was able to resonate with the general public, unlike the test screening where there was almost no applause or appreciation for the team’s efforts. Stahelski was so taken aback that he had to question whether or not the audience was under the influence of drugs.

Recollecting the moment, the director stated:
“Keanu, myself, and Dave snuck in. We did the midnight show. Right after the first action sequence, which is late in the movie. It’s an odd movie, right? There’s no action for 40 minutes and then the crowd went mental, and we’re like, ‘Is everybody stoned?’ We didn’t know what was going on.”
How John Wick became a celebrated action film franchise

The three were genuinely puzzled. They didn’t expect the film to fare as well as it did. Stahelski concluded, “There’s nothing like seeing it with a real audience, not just the Hollywood crowd.”

John Wick performing well amongst the crowd is a testament to Chad Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad’s brilliance. Keanu Reeves’ highly kinetic and action-packed embodiment of the titular character also helped embellish the effort. Even though the crew may not have anticipated the development of a hugely successful film franchise, their perseverance, faith, and hard work allowed them to succeed. The odds simply worked in their favor.

John Wick (2014) is available for streaming on Peacock.