Chad Stahelskihas made it very clear that he deeply appreciates anime. The stuntman-turned-director of one of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises has stated before that he’dlove to spend more time in the mediumof Japanese art and delivering powerful stories through animation. He recently got the chance to embrace his passion, too, working alongside legendaryCowboy BebopcreatorShinichirō Watanabeto plan out the choreography and action sequences for the new original seriesLazarus. Even outside of anime, however, he’s put the themes and methods of the art form to use, with theJohn Wickfilmsembracing similar types of over-the-top actionand gritty, dramatic storytelling. With the release of the new documentaryWick Is Pain, he’s now opening up on the series and creators that most impacted his development of the gun-fu epic.
In an interview with Collider’sAidan KelleyforWick Is Pain, Stahelski was asked about his love of anime andthe specific influences he drew fromon both the movies and especially the upcoming animated prequel. The directorfirst announced the latter project back in late 2023as a way to expand the world of Wick and tell the beginning of the assassin’s story in a way that he believes only anime can. Though we know little about the project, Stahelski will be closely involved throughout the process, with animation veteran andUltraman: RisingdirectorShannon Tindletapped to helm the feature andKeanu Reevesexpected to voice the Baba Yaga once again.
Like the films, it’ll draw from the classics that helped Stahelski fall in love with anime, as well asone of the standard-bearers for modern actionthat also featured Reeves in the lead role. His greatest influence, however, remains the work of Watanabe and its ability to blend themes together in a way that exudes confidence and creates a style all its own:
“Yeah, The Wachowskis forThe Matrix,Ghost in the Shell,Ninja Scroll,Evangelion, you know, the old school stuff. Recently, anything fromCastlevaniatoHellsingis great. But the big one was always Shinichirō Watanabe’sCowboy Bebop, andSamurai Champloo. I got to do Lazarus with him, very recently. The swagger behind Cowboy Bebop and the balls to pull off space sci-fi, martial art, jazz fest and to create that world and combine themes.”
One of the reasons the director most likes intertwining anime withJohn Wickcomes down to story. The sinister world featuresa rich mythologysurrounding the main character, his allies, and the shadowy High Table that pulls the strings that John is trying to break free from. Stahelski compared John’s overarching narrative of revenge in the world of assassins to anime, which tries todraw viewers into its world, its characters, and how they all operate together, first and foremost, leaving a lot of freedom to craft the story around it in a way that doesn’t have to be entirely linear. From there, it becomes an amalgamation of things both he and Reeves like, from dogs to motorcycles, anime, and Greek mythology.
Implementing an anime approach to storytelling into a blockbuster action franchise has already worked before, as Stahelski noted withthe lore-heavyAnimatrixshortsthat expanded the world ofThe Matrixwith help from Watanabe. He once again cited theCowboy Bebopmastermind, as well as Studio Ghibli’sHayao Miyazaki, as his biggest inspirations for crafting the tale ofJohn Wickin the way he did, breaking down what makes their methods so effective:
“I guess when we talk about John Wick thematics and the fact that we don’t do plot, we do the thematics and mythology first, probably is most heavily influenced from anime, especially Shinichirō Watanabe. I’m a Miyazaki super fan. Between Miyazaki and Shinichirō Watanabe, the way they tell stories, go watch them and really dig in. Whether you love anime or not, they don’t tell stories in a plot or necessarily linear way. There’s no rules for them, they just want you to be fascinated by the character, the rules and what’s going on, you know? Because probably they’re drawing and writing at the same time.
So what’s driving the train? The mind or the hand? Or the heart? You don’t know. There’s a freedom in anime that just doesn’t exist in any of the other mediums. And I think that’s why the Wachowskis want to do Animatrix, that’s why they brought in Shinichirō Watanabe for that. If you watch The Matrix, it’s got a lot of that in it along with a lot of highbrow philosophy. There’s a lot of it and maybe that’s why it stays with us. It’s not the norm. I think what gets John Wick is not just the tone or the action, it’s telling a story in a slightly different way, you know?”
What Can Viewers Expect From ‘Wick Is Pain’?
Stahelski has a lot more to share about the creation of his masterpiece franchise inWick Is Pain. Featuring never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage and anecdotes, the documentary tells the full story of how one action-packed indie film grew intoa billion-dollar juggernautwith four increasingly massive installments,a prequel spin-off series, aspin-off movie starringAna de Armas, and much more in the pipeline. Reeves, Stahelski, and the rest of the crew who help power the blockbusters share their experiences and all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the franchise that almost never became the household name we know it as. Directed byJeffrey Doe, the documentary will make a special appearance at Beyond Fest on May 8 before arriving at home through video-on-demand platforms this Friday, May 9.
Wick Is Pain
