Chad Stahelski, director and talented orchestrator of the ongoingJohn Wickfilm franchise, hasnot been shy about his thoughts on stuntworkbeing noticeably left out of all major awards ceremonies year after year, even as the stunts themselves being performed on sets grow bigger and more dangerous. While all productions certainly can’t have iconic powerhousesTom CruiseorKeanu Reevesat the helm, it doesn’t diminish the incredible amount of work done by stunt teams that has long gone without receiving official accolades. However, the conversation Stahelski and Reeves both started has gained traction to the point that now, change is potentially being made. Per areport by Variety, Stahelski claims that “incredibly positive” talks are happening at the Academy right now to create an official stunt category.
Related:How Keanu Reeves Almost Didn’t Play John Wick
As the action film and television genre continues to grow and diversify,many actors are notably far more confident in doing more of their own stunts, to get a true, fists-out experience with their portrayed characters and of course, have more of their own faces on-screen. Two of the most currently relevant and shining examples of this are, of course, Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves. Cruise has long been a focal point in the action genre since the debut of theMission: Impossiblefranchise back in 1996 that’s turned him into an icon, anda tirelessly dedicated advocate of self-performed stunt workfor the sake of creating the biggest experiences possible for the big screen. He’s pushed limits time and again no director thought was possible, though Christopher McQuarrie clearly has every bit of confidence, even behind a bit of nervous sweat.
Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves has had a more unique transcendence in his career as an action star.The Matrix(1999) helped polish the actor into the unstoppable martial arts master he is today, and he brought it full tilt into theJohn Wickfilms that undeniably surprised everyone, audience and critics alike, with their eloquent style, wit, and Reeves' mesmerizing prowess in hand-to-hand combat. While fans sought to put Reeves on a well-deserved pedestal as one of the biggest action stars in film right now, being the miraculously humble human being he is, Reeves always puts those he works with at the forefront, and director Chad Stahelski of course. Having lifted each other up while continuing the story ofJohn Wick, they both firmly believe in what truly makes a glorious action film, and that’s the risk-taking stunt work performed every day on set. Stahelski himself has been a huge advocate for giving stunt teams a voice at the Academy, allowing them to earn the awards they rightfully deserve before the public, and giving them as much of a moment as anyone else on a production crew.
Stahelski Says Talks Are Heading in the Right Direction
After director Stahelski spent much of the entireJohn Wick: Chapter 4press tour pushing for this change, he finally revealed in a recent interview with ComicBookMovie.com that it now looks very much like change is indeed coming to the Academy. His public proclamations have evidently made their impact, and he remarked that a couple of months ago he finally was able to go to the Academy with a group of stunt coordinators to begin conversations on how to inject a stunt category into the lineup.
“We’ve been meeting with members of the Academy and actually having these conversations, and, to be honest, it’s been nothing but incredibly positive, incredibly instructional…I think, for the first time, we’ve made real movement forward to making this happen.”
He did note, however, that while talks are indeed “incredibly positive”, they still face the challenge of figuring out how to construct the category, in terms of who on a stunt team qualifies for the commendation(s). For example, given that the John Wick production had three different stunt coordinators, would all three receive the same award?
“The question is, we haven’t had the real talks about how do you even determine what to award…Like is it for best stunt? Is it best choreography? Best action sequence? Best stunt ensemble? Does the stunt coordinator get it? The guy doing the gag get it? The martial arts choreographer? The fight choreography? The stunt double? The second unit director? The editor? Who gets the award? All these are great questions that just need to be talked about by smart individuals on both sides of it, the stunt community and the Academy.”
While the conversation continues, so is production onJohn Wick: Chapter 5, which will undoubtedly feature somehow even more tremendous stunt work than the last, and Wick teaching countless more self-employed assassins a lesson or two.
