Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Keanu Reeves is well known for his portrayal of his roles in Bill & Ted’s Adventure filmSpeed(as Jack Traven) and the science fiction-action trilogyThe Matrix(as Neo).
But his portrayal of John Wick in the self-titled movie is mainly acknowledged and praised by all. It’s next to impossible to imagine someone else instead of Keanu Reeves as John Wick. The sheer thanks go to Reeves’ popularity because he’s the reasonJohn Wickbecame one of the rare franchises that have gotten more successful with each installment.
Everything is just beyond perfect in theJohn Wickmovies. But the movie we anticipate today would have almost been named “Scorn”. Yes right!
Also read:“Holy sh*t Hideo what are you cooking up?” Hideo Kojima Convinces Fans Keanu Reeves is Joining Another Billion Dollar Franchise After John Wick
The MovieJohn WickWas Almost Named “Scorn”
The franchise’s co-creator and screenwriter Derek Kolstad revealed thatJohn Wick‘s movie names were initially given different titles. It was originally set to be called “Scorn,” but starKeanu Reeveskept getting the names wrongly, so the studio decided to go finally with – John Wick. Kolstad explained:
“The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick.”
The screenwriter went on to say:
“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.”
Scorn means open disrespect for someone. Now it’s unclear why the screenwriter Derek Kolstad chose such a name for the movie because John Wick suits more than was actually expected.
Also read:“Gotta give it a 10”: Keanu Reeves’ $103M Cult-Classic Movie by James Cameron’s Oscar-Winning Ex-Wife Gets Perfect Rating from Former Bank Robber
The Original Concept forJohn WickWas Different Too
Kolstad, who moved from Madison to LA 15 years before selling his “Scorn” script, had been working towards his big break (since giving up a career in business administration). He always kept a sense of his past while writing screenplays, and that’s what he did while writingJohn Wick. As he mentioned:
“If you go back to any other specs [I’ve written], you’re gonna see all of the credited names on the posters for ‘Dirty Dozen,’ ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ ‘Ronin,’ because they were on my walls.”
Clearly, the “Scorn” was directly drawn from his own life. The writer shared that he named the main character after his own grandfather and the original John Wick was far from a skilled assassin. Wisconsin native John F. Wick, a businessman (and grandfather of Derek Kolstad) who established Wick Building Systems in Madison in 1955, expressed:
“I was tickled by Derek using my name for a movie, and the hitman character was frosting on the cake.”
Originally, John Wick was not expected to have his name everywhere. But thanks to Reeves, the businessman had his name featured in a movie and even became the title character.
Also read:John Wick Star Nearly Lost His Ear, Needed 80 Stitches After a Gruesome Injury in Keanu Reeves’ Franchise
Source:Digital Spy
Shreya Jha
Articles Published :1042
Meet Shreya, FandomWire’s go-to Pop-Culture Writer. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and a pop culture obsession that rivals even the most die-hard ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel fans.Her articles have been published in Animated Times, Creator Mail, and The Luxxe Mag. When Shreya’s not busy dishing out hot takes, she is lost in the world of rom-coms.
