John Wick: the Red Circle Club sequence and the making of an icon

Last Updated on December 1, 2023

John Wick is far and away one of the quintessential action franchises of the modern era. With intense stunt work, incredible creative teams, and a wealth of talent in front of the camera- it’s no secret that John Wick has left his mark on the movie industry. Among on of the franchise’s most iconic moments is the Red Circle Club fight and shootout from the first installment in the series.

John Wick (2014) is a revenge action thriller starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character. The film was written by Derek Kolstad and directed by former Keanu-Stuntman Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Stahelski was Reeves’ stunt double on the Matrix, which (until John Wick) was Reeves’ most physically demanding role. As a result, Stahelski directs Keanu perfectly with the two working together to physically match one another’s movements and body language which Stahelski states made the shoots much more successful. It’s hard to imagine someone like John Wick showing any weakness, but behind the scenes of this incredible sequence- Reeves was suffering from a 104 degree fever and flu symptoms which took a hard toll on his body during the scene.

But Reeves being the pro that he is learned all of the fight choreography and lines for the scene the night before going in to shoot. Honestly, you’d never know from the finished result that Keanu was sick or cramming lines. The long takes that track the action in real-time make for a very unforgiving take as the actors must nail every step perfectly in frame. There clearly was a lot of luck and tons of talent that went into making this thing come out as iconic as it is today. If you’re interested in watching the scene and getting a detailed breakdown of the easter eggs, behind-the-scenes, and making of this sequence, stop by and check out today’s episode of Scene Breakdown.