‘John Wick 4’ Producer Erica Lee Discusses ‘Ballerina,’ ‘The Continental,’ & Extra

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4]

When you’re a fan of the distinctive John Wick franchise or different standout motion films like Sicario or Wind River, you’re a fan of movie producer Erica Lee’s work. Because the very starting, when Chad Stahelski’s John Wick was an independently financed standalone motion flick titled Scorn, a couple of man and his devotion to a canine, Lee has been on board for the wild experience the saga has grow to be. When others wouldn’t, Lee handed the script alongside and is now reveling within the deep lore and the next that the epic has amassed. With John Wick: Chapter 4 now in theaters, Collider’s Steve Weintraub spoke with Lee about all issues Wickiverse, the way forward for the franchise, and tons extra.

In Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves’ near-mythical murderer, John Wick, finds himself in a race in opposition to the clock. As each alternative that he’s made because the first film has had a ripple impact on this underworld of killers, the Excessive Desk has enlisted the assistance of The Marquis (Invoice Skarsgård) to scrub up the mess. Each particular person John has referred to as a buddy is coming into query, and anybody keen to assist him is liable to shedding every little thing. When a deal is struck, Wick has one likelihood to set issues proper.

Of their dialogue in regards to the franchise, Lee is greater than forthcoming in regards to the future initiatives throughout the Wickiverse, just like the spin-off, Ballerina, the prequel sequence, The Continental, and extra, calling the increasing universe a “continually evolving ecosystem.” She provides us particulars, dates, and dishes on different initiatives just like the rumored open-world John Wick online game. The producer additionally remembers notably difficult photographs for Chapter 4, shares her expertise on the “very, very exhausting shoot” of the primary film, and divulges details about John Woo’s Silent Night time. For all of this and a lot extra, you’ll be able to learn the total interview within the transcript under.

COLLIDER: I noticed [John Wick: Chapter 4] for the primary time per week in the past. I’d’ve preferred to have seen the three-hour and 45-minute reduce.

ERICA LEE: No, you would not have.

No, I’d’ve. I positively would’ve. Though, I might slightly see it now after I’ve seen the total remaining reduce, which is clearly the most effective model of the film. Now, I might prefer to see all the opposite stuff that he reduce out.

LEE: There [weren’t] actually that many large lifts. We positively shot so much, however the film’s hovered round three hours for nearly all of publish. The three:45 was so tough and boring in elements, and simply numerous… I imply, it was not good [Laughs]. You did not miss something.

Chad even mentioned the model that is in theaters is the most effective model of this film, however he mentioned that there was extra in Sacré Coeur, there’s extra in Berlin. Clearly, now that the John Wick films are primarily over, is there discuss of doing a giant field set of the 4 films, after which possibly that is an excuse to launch an prolonged reduce of the fourth one?

LEE: I imply, I am certain that is doable. I do not know if Chad actually needs that prolonged model on the market, although. He appears fairly pleased with the ultimate reduce. It is not like on earlier films the place there was positively extra of a struggle in regards to the runtime. I feel he felt he left stuff on the desk. I feel [with] 4, every little thing that he needs is in there. However I imply, are the John Wick films lifeless? I do not know.

Keanu mentioned the explanation he needed to make the film was to kill John Wick.

LEE: Yeah, and look, is that character of John Wick lifeless? Sure. Are there different variations or… I do not know, I by no means say by no means, proper? It is a lengthy life.

Lionsgate is aware of what they’ve. That is the explanation why The Continental is being made, that is the explanation Ballerina was made. The universe is wealthy. It simply does not must all the time deal with John Wick.

LEE: No, and we’re growing different properties, too, and I feel that there is numerous alternative for films starring different characters, or different methods to world-build, films which are kind of handovers to completely different characters. Yeah, there’s so much to do, for certain.

I really like Keanu as John Wick, and he’s the explanation folks bought into this franchise, however lots of people go to the John Wick films to see motion that they are not going to see anyplace else. I do assume there is a method of doing extra.

LEE: Sure, and we’ll do extra. Making Ballerina has truly been a extremely attention-grabbing course of as a result of it is numerous the stuff that we take from the John Wick films, however then it is barely completely different. It has been enjoyable to work on John Wick 4 and Ballerina sort of concurrently, and the TV present. It is numerous Wick, however numerous completely different variations of it. The Wick films, John Wick 4 is so pushed by Chad and his concepts and ideas, and he is actually the captain of that ship. However on Ballerina, he is a producer and he directs second unit, and he wasn’t within the driver’s seat on that one, as a result of he was additionally in publish on 4. So, it is simply attention-grabbing to work on the Wick universe in numerous methods.

I do know precisely what you are saying. One of many issues in regards to the John Wick films, and when you’re a fan of the franchise you recognize, the primary movie is made as only a film, with no thought to a universe or sequels. Ballerina, alternatively, is a film that clearly you guys hope results in different issues. So, I am curious, how has the creation of that been completely different than the primary John Wick, and the John Wick films? Since you clearly know the universe and also you’re fascinated about greater than only one film.

LEE: Yeah. It is humorous, Ballerina was kind of a very long time coming, additionally. Shay Hatten was like an intern for Robert Downey Jr., I had a basic assembly with him, he was an enormous John Wick fan, and he wrote Ballerina in a vacuum, like as a spec script. He gave it to me, I wish to say 5 years in the past, and I learn it and was like, ‘Okay.’ It was an murderer, Rooney, it was a feminine character, however we optioned it and we’re like, ‘Let’s again this into [the] John Wick universe.’

Then we began growing and making it extra Wick. However this was earlier than we might even shot John Wick 3. [There have] been iterations alongside the best way, and as we continue to learn extra in regards to the universe and creating new characters and refining the Wick world, that kind of enters its method into Ballerina. So, even a 12 months in the past, once we had been engaged on the script, it was like, ‘Okay, Winston was kind of there, and the Charon character, and Anjelica Huston, The Director’s character,’ nevertheless it was like, ‘What do we all know now? What’s the state of The Continental? What’s the timeline? How are we breaking it? What are the reference factors we will use?’ Ballerina is that this continually evolving ecosystem of a film. It is simply been actually enjoyable to work on.

That movie takes place between Wick 3 and 4. Lance, Ian, and Keanu have advised me that they are all within the film. Clearly, Lance being within the film means much more now. I am simply curious, with Lance and Ian, are they cameos or are they part of the film?

LEE: They’re cameos.

So, it is like she’s checking into the lodge, or one thing?

LEE: Yeah. I imply, Ian has slightly bit extra to do, and John Wick is an prolonged cameo. He shot for a couple of week. Lance shot for a day. These had been last-minute provides in a method, too. Like, ‘How can we merge the worlds a bit extra, so there is a bit extra of brand name continuity?’ As a result of clearly, she’s a ballerina within the Ruska Roma college, so having Anjelica as The Director was all the time an natural method in, and she or he all the time did verify right into a Continental. However then it was enjoyable to have Ian and Lance come.

I did not know if Keanu was going to do the film. I feel we had all the time hoped he would. Then the timeline factor grew to become a factor as a result of we had been nonetheless in publish on John Wick 4, and it was like, ‘Is he lifeless? Is he not? Is he lifeless? Yeah, let’s do that so it is smart chronologically and provides us a minute to determine all of it out.’

Keanu and Chad advised me they filmed the staircase sequence in Paris in 5 – 6 days. Once I hear that, I am like, “Nicely, Keanu can do something in per week.” It is loopy.

LEE: I imply, I’ll say that the stair sequence was one of many extra painful ones to shoot. It wasn’t alleged to be a six-day shoot, it was alleged to be three. We had been alleged to spend extra time on the prime as a result of that was additionally the cash location, the highest of the steps, Sacré Coeur, and we stored extending our time on that set.

Nicely, the staircase sequence is unbelievable. Watching it once more final night time with the viewers, folks lose their minds at what’s occurring on the staircase.

LEE: Yeah, it is humorous. I really like, additionally, now that the world is embracing it, I feel [there are] three or 4 actually signature, 5, items within the film, so everybody has their favourite. However the stairs, once more, once we had been taking pictures it, I used to be like, ‘Is that this going to work? I feel it would.’ You by no means know in John Wick. It is like, ‘Is that this the most effective factor we have ever performed or the dumbest?’

Yeah, it is implausible. I really like these films, however the first film is slightly bit extra grounded. By the point you get to John Wick 4, he is Captain America, you recognize what I imply?

LEE: Yeah, it’s. I introduced my mother to the premiere, and she or he was like, ‘Clarify to me once more in regards to the fits, and the falling.’ I am like, ‘You bought to go together with it.’ I imply, we have definitely grow to be a heightened world, hyperreal. [John Wick] 1 was very grounded, to a level, at the least the primary half-hour of the film. Yeah, we have come a great distance in measurement and scope and scale, and absurdity, all of it.

Once more, I really like this franchise, I wish to emphasize that, however the ending of 3, he will get thrown off the constructing and Chad mentioned it is six months of him recovering to get able to exit. Then in John Wick 4, he falls from that factor within the Berlin membership, hits the factor, and hits the bottom, and he’s simply getting up. Or the stairway, and he’s simply getting up…

LEE: Yeah. He is hit by a automobile. I imply, there’s so much. We positively defy a little bit of actuality.

Oh, utterly. By the best way, I am certain there will be some essay on-line that explains how he actually died in 3 and that is all his creativeness, you recognize what I imply?

LEE: Yeah, I like that.

When you consider the entire franchise, you’ve got been on all 4 films. Speak slightly bit about how it began as a result of that is so uncommon in Hollywood to have a film that is made below the radar after which abruptly have it flip into what it is grow to be.

LEE: Sure, it is insane. The primary John Wick script was referred to as Scorn, and it was a spec script that we had been submitted at Thunder Highway, Basil [Iwanyk] and myself. We had a basic assembly with Derek [Kolstad]. We had learn one other script referred to as Acolyte, met him, he sort of pitched it to us within the room. I keep in mind so vividly that weekend studying Scorn and pondering, and emailing Basil, I used to be like, ‘There’s one thing in– I really like the script. It has numerous loopy villains and is senseless and wishes numerous work, nevertheless it’s all a couple of canine, and I am a canine particular person.’ And I used to be like, ‘It is a genius idea. I feel we should always do it.’ Then he wrote again, ‘I agree.’ Then we optioned it after which we had been sort of off to the races.

I imply, the story is, Chad and Dave [Leitch] had by no means… We had met beforehand simply round city. They’d needed to direct first unit, they hadn’t, Keanu was actually adamant that they’ve a shot at directing first unit. We had been clearly going to have him do second unit regardless. The film got here collectively independently financed and was a really, very exhausting shoot, very exhausting.

It is humorous to look again at Chad and Dave collaborating as they’re each such singular visionaries now, and watching co-directorship, which is rare for a motive, I feel. Dwelling it in a film that had no distribution, home distribution, was simply– we screened it for patrons in July that 12 months. I sat in that viewers, I watched folks stroll out of it. I imply, it was a film that actually lots of people did not imagine in it and did not see coming. Lionsgate purchased it and put it out that October as a result of that they had no Noticed. It was numerous arbitrary selections that got here collectively in a method. After which it was at Incredible Fest. I keep in mind Harry Knowles and other people tweeting about it like, “That is what motion must be.” It was superb. I imply, and right here we’re.

After Lionsgate purchased it, it was just a few weeks later, they usually confirmed it to me and some folks in a screening room in Santa Monica. I keep in mind sitting there midway by means of the film being like, ‘What the fuck am I watching? That is unbelievable.’ I keep in mind strolling out of the theater, there have been like 4 of us, and me saying to them, ‘That is unbelievable.’ Anyway, the remaining is historical past, clearly.

LEE: Yeah. It wasn’t for everybody to start with. It wasn’t for all of the patrons, and it wasn’t a certain factor by any means.

I could possibly be fallacious about this, however there was discuss it simply going straight to Blu-ray or DVD.

LEE: Yeah. And it was a film that they had been like, ‘Okay, it will work in all of the international territories.’ Keanu was a giant star in Germany and Korea and Japan. On the time, 47 Ronin was popping out. He had been in China directing Man of Tai Chi for a very long time. It was like, we did not know what the field workplace was going to be like.

What do you assume would shock John Wick followers to study in regards to the making of a John Wick film?

LEE: That’s a extremely good query. I imply, they’re actually exhausting. Chad pushes everybody. He is a perfectionist. He all the time says, ‘Within the darkness is magnificence,’ and, ‘It is not price it if there’s not ache,’ issues like that. These films are loopy. I imply, John Wick 4 I feel was virtually 100 days of taking pictures, all nights, all night time shoots. Even once we’re taking pictures within the day, we shoot at night time. Simply the logistics of it, it seems so enjoyable, however the precise making of the films is basically, actually exhausting. [There are] so many items to it. They’re exhausting to observe, the dailies. For a very long time, you do not know what you’ve gotten as a producer, since you’re taking pictures, like, the steps, per week of taking pictures guys falling down stairs. You are like, ‘What is that this?’ It is exhausting to know the total image of what you’ve gotten at the moment.

I imply, John Wick, the films are so pure. I used to be saying we all the time finish each, we depart all of it within the area, we burn the entire home down. So we’re like, ‘Are we making one other one?’ I keep in mind after John Wick 3 [we were] like, ‘No, we’re not going to do one other one, are we?’ It is all the time like, a month or so passes. I keep in mind Chad referred to as and he was like, ‘We’re pondering snow, nunchucks, slightly bit…’ and I used to be like, ‘Okay, now we have a film.’ And it is a film primarily based on 4 ideas or 4 issues, and that is the place all of it occurs. It’s actually these kernels of concepts that simply develop into these epic films.

Yeah. Chad and Keanu advised me that it truly is in regards to the whiskey they’re ingesting on the Imperial Resort in Tokyo.

LEE: In Tokyo. I’ll say, we had been joking, as a result of the Japan journey this 12 months is in September, and I used to be like, ‘Nicely, what is going on to come back out of that one?’ As a result of by that point, the mud has settled, and everybody has had a while to mirror and take into consideration what they might do subsequent, and what we wish to see extra of, and there is suggestions from critics and evaluations, and you’ve got time to consider it. I additionally assume everybody’s rejuvenated by that time.

Yeah, it is loopy that Japan will not get it till then. I heard Silent Night time turned out nice.

LEE: Sure.

So, you’ll be able to verify, it actually has no dialogue?

LEE: It actually has no dialogue. It was one other spec script that I used to be given and skim, and I used to be like, ‘That is both going to be a genius transfer or a catastrophe, there is not any in-between.’ It is execution-dependent, for certain. I imply, John Woo kills it. Joel Kinnaman is the star and actually delivers. I imply, there’s some ambient noise and background and chatter like radio and stuff like that, however, yeah, it is superior. I can not wait so that you can see it.

So, I heard that numerous the John Wick stunt staff needed to work on it due to John Woo.

LEE: Yeah, it is humorous, I imply, Chad has an image of himself and John Woo in his workplace. He is a seminal motion director and designer. It was enjoyable. Really, I used to be on John Wick 4, we had been at Sacré Coeur, and I keep in mind speaking to Jeremy Marinas, who was the coordinator. I used to be like, ‘Do you wish to come do that John Woo film with me after?’ He was like, ‘Uhh, yeah.’ That is the way it began.

Clearly the film goes to have unbelievable motion as a result of it is John Woo and the John Wick staff. What are you able to tease about among the motion?

LEE: That’s an excellent query. It’s extremely operatic. It’s extremely John Woo-esque. I imply, we’re actually fortunate we bought to companion with Joel Kinnaman as a result of he is so much like Keanu the place he places within the work. He was at 87eleven on his off days. He was 87eleven earlier than he even bought this half. So, it is numerous comparable the place it is him, he is doing the work. It is a bit extra grounded, setting-wise, than Wick, or something like that. I imply, it is set in East L.A. So, there’s an epic automobile chase. There’s simply actually cool stuff, I can not inform an excessive amount of.

Acquired it. When do you assume I am truly going to see a trailer or some footage?

LEE: I feel by the summer time I feel we’ll have a trailer.

Okay. Switching gears into one thing else. I’m very interested by The Continental. Just a few fast questions proper off the bat. What number of episodes is it?

LEE: Proper now, it is three episodes, three 90-minute episodes, like three sort of mini-movies.

So, my subsequent factor is, it takes place, from what I perceive, within the ’70s, and it is a younger Winston. How did you guys give you that concept so far as, that is the place we needed to select The Continental?

LEE: Yeah. It is younger Winston and younger Lance Reddick, younger Charon. The showrunners truly got here, we heard numerous pitches, and we had been debating whether or not or not we needed to do an analogous timeline of John Wick or an alternate timeline. We felt like doing a prequel, doing an alternate timeline, gave us numerous flexibility simply in working parallel tracks. But additionally, what I feel folks love a lot about John Wick and the John Wick world is studying in regards to the motels and the Easter eggs. We give so little about every character and in regards to the lodge in every film that I feel folks had been actually excited to study extra and dig deeper into The Continental, like, ‘What does the cleaner there seem like? What’s the employees like? How do you get into The Continental? How are the gold cash made?’ So, with this timeline and this setting, we’re allowed to do a extremely deep dive into that and discover numerous that stuff.

When is it truly popping out? As a result of I imagine it is popping out in America on Peacock.

LEE: Sure, in September.

Does that imply that possibly you may be at Comedian-Con with it?

LEE: That’s a fantastic query. I’d like to be at Comedian-Con. We’ve got such good experiences at Comedian-Con with Wick and Wick universe. We simply locked “Night time One,” and we’re simply stepping into the publicity plan, however that might be a fantastic thought. We must be there.

With the three episodes, as a result of one of many issues in regards to the Wick films is, there’s dialogue after which there are large motion set items. Are you guys following an analogous method with The Continental or is it extra character-based with choose motion?

LEE: I feel in TV, typically, it is extra character-based, however there may be numerous motion within the exhibits. I imply, we open with an motion sequence in “One.” I feel it is a good stability. “One” and “Three” have an unlimited quantity of motion. “Two” is slightly bit extra story. That is like the way it breaks out structurally, however there’s loads of motion.

The three episodes, do they happen close to one another or are they time jumps?

LEE: No, it is one continuation.

You recognize entering into with The Continental that, if it is a hit, they will need extra episodes. So how a lot, if you, the showrunners, had been discussing it, had been you pondering or laying out, ‘Okay, what’s our plan if this can be a hit?’ How a lot are you fascinated about that earlier than you even shoot the primary episode?

LEE: The best way that we have written it, it is a fantastic jumping-off level. [There are] loads of locations to go from the place we led to “Night time Three,” and we’re all the time fascinated about that. I feel proper now we’re pondering increasingly deeply as we lock the third episode. As Wick 4 comes out, and the trajectory, and the universe builds and builds and builds, and Ballerina is in publish, it is all an ecosystem that is shifting on the similar time. We’re all the time fascinated about it.

My very last thing for you, you’ve gotten Ballerina, you’ve gotten Continental, however I am certain Lionsgate is interested by exploring no matter else you’ll be able to give you, whether or not or not it’s video video games. By the best way, the place is the open-world John Wick online game?

LEE: We’re doing a online game.

I heard, however is it quickly, or is it years away?

LEE: I feel it is quickly. I imply, we’re deeply engaged on it, so it isn’t years away.

Are you aware what the subsequent factor will probably be within the John Wick universe that has not been introduced but?

LEE: There may be one other movie that we’re growing that I feel we’ll be saying within the subsequent, say, month or two. Then, I am hopeful there is a Ballerina 2 and John Wick 5, and many different issues. However we’re growing numerous stuff and having numerous discussions with numerous writers. Model administration and Wick universe is my utmost precedence.

When you’ve seen John Wick: Chapter 4, take a look at Collider’s spoiler Q&A with Reeves and Stahelski under. In any other case, Chapter 4 is now enjoying in theaters, so seize your tickets and are available again for tons of behind-the-scenes data.