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The director of the four mainJohn Wickmovies has revealed which of them is his favorite. The franchise kicked off in 2014 with the action movie of the same name. Although the Keanu Reeves-led release hinted at a broader universe with an interconnected network of assassins and constantly shifting alliances, it largely spun a pulse-pounding gun fu adventure from one simple premise, that being the titular former assassin seeking revenge for the murder of his dog, a present from his late wife, and the theft of his car.
It was a critical and commercial success,earning a Certified Fresh 86% Rotten Tomatoes scoreand grossing $86 million against its roughly $25 million budget, and theJohn Wickfranchisehas expanded considerably since it debuted. In addition to earning three sequels exploring the continued adventures of the character, it has already spawned a prequel miniseries titledThe Continental: From the World of John Wickand the upcoming spinoff movieBallerina, which takes place between the third and fourth movies and stars Ana de Armas as ballerina assassin Eve Macarro.
He Directed All Four Of The Original Movies
Chad Stahelski has offered unique insight into his perspective on theJohn Wickmovies. Stahelski is the director of all four of the flagship movies. In fact, they are the only movies he has ever directed, though he has worked on other releases in a producorial capacity, including the Halle Berry sports dramaBruisedand the Netflix vampire comedyDay Shift. Before helming the movie, he was a stunt performer,a career that both gave him his eye for action and connected him with Keanu Reeves, who he doubled on theMatrixmovies.
Stahelski co-directed the originalJohn Wickwith David Leitch, who went on to helmDeadpool 2,Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, andThe Fall Guy, among other projects.
Screen Rantrecently had the opportunity to sit down for aninterview with Stahelskiwhile celebrating the franchise’s 10th anniversary. When asked about his favorite installment in the franchise, the director opened up, saying “people tell me a lot of stuff,” where they have difficulty deciding which of the four movies in the flagship franchise is the one that appeals most to them. However, he revealed decisively thatthe original 2014John Wickis “my fave, of course.“Read Stahelski’s full quote below:
You read a lot of stuff, and people tell me a lot of stuff. Their favorite is like, “We love No. 4, but then No. 1’s great, then 3 and then 2.” In the true story of things, John Wick 1 was great. It’s my fave, of course.
His Pick Makes Perfect Sense
Although Stahelski is clearly invested in the franchise, to the point that he was recently hired to oversee the entire universe, including the upcomingJohn Wickspinoffsthat he is not directing,it makes sense that the first movie has a special place in his heart. In addition to being the installment that kicked off the sprawling universe of the franchise, Stahelski was passionately involved in kicking off his directorial career with the movie, earning support from Reeves himself, who had sent him and Leitch the script in the first place, likely imbuing the project with strong nostalgia value.
UPDATE: 2025-07-23 19:54 EST BY ROB KEYES
Read our John Wick 10th Anniversary Cover Story!
Featuring interviews about the past and future of John Wick from Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, and Executive Producer Erica Lee.Read it here.
John Wick
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.
