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John Wick's original title was changed from Scorn after Keanu Reeves kept getting it wrong

Photo credit: Lionsgate
Photo credit: Lionsgate

From Digital Spy

It's hard to imagine the John Wick franchise going by any other name but it very nearly did.

Speaking to Comicbook.com, the franchise's co-creator and screenwriter Derek Kolstad revealed that it was originally set to be called Scorn but star Keanu Reeves kept getting the name wrong, so the studio decided to go with it.

"The only reason it's called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick," Kolstad explained.

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Related: How John Wick got one of its major themes wrong for Keanu Reeves' assassin

"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."

Kolstad also revealed that he still doesn't know what the title of the upcoming Chapter 4 will be, admitting that the decision will more than likely be up to director Chad Stahelski, who came up with Chapter 3- Parabellum.

"I have no idea," he added of John Wick 4's title. "Parabellum was Chad's and I love it. Chapter Two was, I think, I might've just put it in the heading."

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Previously Kolstad revealed that directors Stahelski and David Leitch had to fight the studio to keep the scene where the retired hitman's dog is killed in the first John Wick film.

"I think that they wanted to do it right, and so there were elements where [the studio said], 'Let's cut the dog out. Let's just focus on it as an assassin coming out of retirement.' That kind of thing," he said.

"But without that dog connection and without that underlying soul and the heartbeat of that character, and also the levity it brings the character and the levity it brings the humour, it was key.

"At certain points, Chad and Dave, they fought for it, they got it and they were right. They continued to fight for the way they see certain stories playing out elsewhere."

Photo credit: Lionsgate
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Related: John Wick spin-off The Continental air date, cast, plot, trailer and everything you need to know

The fourth instalment of the Keanu Reeves-led franchise was set to arrive in cinemas on May 21, 2021, but it will now be released a year later on May 27, 2022.

John Wick is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, while John Wick Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum are available to purchase on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD now.


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