John Wick was not favored by the distributor at first, but it became a hit

In the past 15 years, the film industry has undergone a lot of changes. Many big IPs such as "Fast and Furious" broke box office records, and "John Wick" starring Keanu Reeves is now a big money-making IP. However, director David Leitch said in an interview with foreign media Deadline that this small, low-cost action movie with a strong mythological color needed a wonderful viewing feast at the beginning to excite the executives of the distributor.

"John Wick was made with a very small budget for me, and it was my first time directing, but I had a clear vision of what I wanted," said John Wick director David Leitch. "We showed the movie to buyers, but no one invested in it."

David Leitch's production team, 87North, finished the film in early summer, but they were reluctant to show it at the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness show because the junior festival executives who saw the film did not show much interest, which was certainly not enough.

“Lionsgate took John Wick to Fantastic Fest and saw it and they went crazy over it and they said, I think we’ve got a lot of conversation going on,” said Kelly McCormick, a John Wick producer.

Currently, "John Wick 4" will start shooting in June, giving up the plan to shoot it together with "John Wick 5". "John Wick 4" is expected to be released on May 27, 2022.