In John Wick, Keanu Reeves, as the titular assassin, says 484 words, 13 of which are “I’m going to kill Theon Greyjoy for what you did to my dog.” That’s how I remember it, at least. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched the movie.
As the sequels have gone by, John Wick has gotten less chatty, and it’s not like he was Lorelai Gilmore to begin with. In John Wick: Chapter 4, he’s down to 380 words. His longest “speech” in the film, according to the Wall Street Journal: “You and I left a good life behind a long time ago, my friend.” For that one sentence, Reeves got paid $552,622. Honestly? Worth every penny.
“Keanu Reeves said just 380 words in John Wick: Chapter 4, and he reportedly made $15 million. Trusting reports of his pay, that’s $39,473 per word,” Morning Brew tweeted. Emphasis on the “reportedly” with Reeves’ salary, but it’s hard to imagine him making anything less considering he’s the face of a franchise that gets bigger with every installment.
Reeves also played every part in Chapter 4, at least in pre-production.
Script meetings for Chapter 4 were the opposite of pithy. Mr. Stahelski and Mr. Reeves, the main architects of the movies, presided over writing sessions running nine hours or longer. “Keanu would do all the characters. He was a one-man show,” recalled Michael Finch, who wrote the screenplay with Mr. Hatten.
If Keanu Reeves wants to do a one-man show that recreates the plot of the John Wick franchise, I would pay $39,473 for a ticket.
(Via Wall Street Journal)