Chad Stahelski Focuses On Story Over Oscars For John Wick 5

The Oscars are finally adding a category to recognize stunts in films, but John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski is more worried about figuring out the John Wick 5 story than winning the award. In an interview with ComicBook to promote the new documentary Wick is Pain (now available on digital platforms), the filmmaker was asked if it’s a goal of his to take home the Best Stunts prize with John Wick 5. Stahelski said that for him, the film’s narrative comes first. He believes that deliberately chasing an award doesn’t lead to the best results.

“Let’s worry about the story for John Wick 5 first,” Stahelski said. “Then I’ll figure out what to blow s— up with. Okay? My advice all this time, people out there, don’t ever try to get an award. Just do great stuff, you know? Don’t worry about the awards. That’s chasing the dragon, man. That’s never going to be great.”

In April, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced plans to introduce a Best Stunts category. It will first be awarded at the 100th Oscars ceremony, which will be held in 2028. For years, Stahelski was one of the most vocal advocates for a stunts Oscar, frequently highlighting the tremendous work of stunt crews on action films. April was also when it was confirmed that Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves are reuniting to make John Wick 5. The film does not have a release date as of this writing.

Stahelski has shed some light on his approach, however, revealing that John Wick 5 marks the beginning of a new story for the franchise. He considers John’s confrontation with the High Table (which spanned the previous four movies) to be resolved. John Wick is one of the most influential action franchises in film, renowned for its innovative gun-fu set pieces and practical stunts. Should John Wick 5 premiere in 2027, it would be eligible for the first Best Stunts Oscar, and many would consider it a frontrunner.

It would obviously mean a lot to Stahelski (who worked as a stuntman before directing John Wick) to be the first recipient of that award, but for John Wick fans, it’s encouraging that is not his primary objective. All of the John Wick films to date have been critically acclaimed — not just for their action sequences, but also their strong sense of world building and entertaining performances. In the interest of ensuring that track record remains intact, Stahelski wants John Wick 5 to be a great film overall, and that starts with cracking the right story.

Based on Stahelski’s comments about John Wick 5, he seems to be on the right track. The High Table storyline has run its course, and it will be exciting to see the Baba Yaga be placed in a different situation and face new challenges. With Stahelski calling the shots, the action of John Wick 5 will be in the best hands possible and it should deliver several exhilarating sequences. But in order for the franchise to keep going beyond that, it’ll need a refresh in the narrative department. As long as Stahelski and crew iron out the best story possible, everything else (including Oscars for stunts) will fall into place.

Throughout the making of his four blockbuster John Wick films, star Keanu Reeves has held fast to one mantra: "Wick is pain. Wick is pain. Wick is pain." But what exactly does that mean? Is he referring to the physical toll these films have taken on him over the years? The emotional strain they endured when the first film almost fell apart? Or is he pointing to something deeper? Find out in the new documentary Wick is Pain, which features "never-before-seen footage captured over a decade on and off set, chronicling John Wick’s journey from independent film—facing a mountain of creative, financial, and personal challenges—to a global phenomenon that redefined the action genre and launched three megahit sequels."

Ahead of the digital debut of this incredible new documentary, we caught up with producers Chad Stahelski and Josh Oreck to discuss the enduring legacy of the Keanu Reeves-fronted franchise. They revisit key moments from their decade-plus journey, sharing stories from behind the scenes that offer a rare look into the world of John Wick—and the familial bond that has made these films such a uniquely special experience.

The always-great Stahelski, in our third interview together, even offers a small tease of what’s to come in the now-official John Wick 5, which he’ll be returning to direct. Stahelski co-directed John Wick and has been the sole director of John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, and John Wick: Chapter 4. He also serves as a producer on the films through his 87eleven Entertainment production banner and is the founder and co-owner of 87eleven Action Design, which develops the intricate stunt sequences for the films and for most films across Hollywood, including Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts.

Oreck produced the documentary through Narrator Inc., his production company that he runs with his wife Tina Carter, who was an executive producer on Wick is Pain. He previously worked on the documentaries for The Matrix trilogy, and also produced behind-the-scenes content for the first three John Wick films. Wick is Pain is now available to purchase on all Digital HD platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and YouTube!

In the doc, we get to see so many great moments - like Jackson falling off the building in John Wick 3 and we hear him talk about that moment and how you approached him, relatively calmly to just see if he was okay before attempting the stunt again. I can't imagine you would have had the same reaction after John Wick 1 - so what has built your confidence most as you've grown 87eleven Action Design, is it just the immense amount of prep or is it something else? Stahelski: It's not the word prep, it's the people who prep. Hire the best, you get the best. You train the best, you get the best. We're pretty uncompromising with that. It's always tricky when you're trying to get the best, you're trying not to be an elitist.

Josh, since you've also been heavily involved with these films since the beginning, and know firsthand what a grueling process making the first one was - what did you see when you see how Chad and Keanu and everyone talk about the different films? Josh: Yeah, I mean, that's been one of the more interesting things for me to witness is, you know, I think, and you see this in the documentary, is in the first film, you see an incredible struggle to get it made. One, because, you know, there wasn't a budget, there wasn't any financing, there wasn't any belief in John Wick, and two, as Chad said, they were new directors making mistakes. And they, you know, it was a hard job to take on, and they invented something entirely new, so that part of it was there.

As time went on, and they made John Wicks 2, 3, and 4, I really was stunned by Chad and Keanu’s growth, just as filmmakers. They really worked their asses off to invent and populate a universe of their own making in a way that I've never seen before. And, it was as hard as we make it sound, as much as we call it pain, like it was just a joy to watch, that they just were inventive and had fun and had this incredible commitment to the design of action and to the growth of this entirely imagined world and universe that's, you know, as complicated in the end as Lord of the Rings or anything else like that, even though it feels kind of real and heightened.

With John Wick 5 officially happening, plenty of story ideas have emerged, but one of the wildest concepts is also my favorite, despite one clear flaw. However, if John Wick truly is alive, then the upcoming fifth movie will have to explain how he survived his wound and why he decided to go into hiding. After the incredible ending of the fourth movie, John Wick 5 risks criticism if it doesn't provide a good reason for how John is still alive. Since John Wick's story with the High Table has concluded, the fifth movie will start a new era for the series. However, hopefully Stahelski and Reeves have a good reason for bringing John Wick back from the dead.

In closing, the documentary Wick is Pain not only sheds light on the making of the John Wick franchise but also highlights the journey of its creators. As they prepare for John Wick 5, fans are left wondering how this new chapter will unfold and what fresh challenges await the beloved character.