The Original John Wick Was Saved by a Surprising Producer

Today, October 24, celebrates the 10th anniversary of John Wick, which revived Keanu Reeves’ career and is arguably one of the best action movies of all time. But few knew how close the project had come to never happening had it not been for the intervention of actress-turned-filmmaker Eva Longoria.

talking with Business ContentJohn Wick director Chad Stahelski talked about how Longoria saved the film from collapse when project financing was in jeopardy before production began.

“We were less than a week away and lost almost $6 million in gap funding.” remembered Stahelski. “We were independently raising financing to buy the bond, but one of the investors couldn’t raise the money in time. (Longoria) came to our rescue and funded the gap, literally less than 24 hours before we had to lock the bond. Open the movie door and walk away.”

Longoria came on board after her agency, CAA, approached the artists for the chance to invest in the film. He secured the needed $6 million and received his first major credit as a producer. Longoria’s return on this investment has been very lucrative, as the film spawned several sequels and an upcoming spin-off, Ballerina.

Stahelski also explained how he and his uncredited co-director David Leitch learned of Longoria’s contribution.

“(Producer Basil Iwanyk) took us out to dinner and we were laughing at all the bullshit that was going on and he said: ‘By the way, funny story, gap do you know who financed you? Eva Longoria.’ ‘What?!’ we said.

Even though Chapter 4 is definitely over, there may still be a John Wick: Chapter 5. Meanwhile, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will be released on June 6, 2025. Also, a spin-off movie is in production. About Donnie Yen’s Caine.