John Wick: Chapter 4 is influenced by the cult classic The Warriors, according to director Chad Stahelski.
The film was hailed by critics as one of the greatest action films ever and was a resounding success among fans. Now, the creative forces behind Keanu Reeves are discussing some of the influences that went into making the film.
Sitting down for a chat with CBR.com recently, Stahelski said films like Walter Hill’s 1979 film The Warriors helped influence a fourth Wick film. “I always watched The Warriors when I was a teenager. I think it’s the most incredible – all the bands, like Baseball Furies. It just went back to the back of my mind.
Warriors helped influence John Wick: Chapter 4. CREDITS: NATURAL
Stahelski went on to say that certain scenes in Hill’s film allowed him to find a way to incorporate the music he wanted in the film into the script. As it turns out, having a “handsome radio DJ” playing music and reading out advice was also the perfect way to pay tribute to The Warriors.
“We wrote the script for John Wick: Chapter 4,” explains Stahelski. “We needed a way to consolidate all the different things. We always have a battle royale at the end of a John Wick movie. I could never make as much music as I wanted [in these films].”
Stahelski continued, “So how do I make it less silly and make a pin? Then we explored Paris. We saw the Eiffel Tower, and I thought, ‘What if there was a radio station there?’
“And I was like, ‘We’re going to have a DJ. And then we will paint it black and put in some fantastic songs. And we’re going to have this, you know, beautiful DJ doing all these things – and we met Luce, who was an excellent pop star – so we cast him in that [role], and it was a great way to bring him in music and a tribute to something I loved so much as a kid.
