What Percentage Of John Wick's Action Scenes Are Actually Keanu Reeves

What Percentage Of John Wick's Action Scenes Are Actually Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has been playing John Wick on the big screen for five years now, and he’s about to present his third outing as the character with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. In that time the actor has also passed the big 5-0 milestone, and would be forgiven if he allowed his stunt double to do plenty of his action scenes for him.

That doesn’t seem to be the case, however. According to Keanu Reeves himself, 90% of the action you’ll see in a John Wick franchise movie is really him. He said:

I do all of the action. I’m 90 percent of what’s happening there. I’m maintaining the connection to the audience, and with the story. If it’s wacky/crazy stuff, you’re just like, ‘Oh my god, what did I just see?’

Speaking during a recent interview, Keanu Reeves revealed he does actually do a huge variety of the stunts in the movie. There are plenty of stuntmen and women who are credited for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – in particular there are special credits for motorcycle sequences as well – so it would be remiss if we didn't note there are plenty of men and women who do create additional stunts for these films.

Still, it sounds like when the actors can learn sequences, they make an effort to do so in the world of John Wick.

That said, if you’ve kept up with the franchise at all, you should know that John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum director is Chad Stahelski, who started out as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double early in his career and knows his way around an action sequence. Chad Stahelski first worked with Keanu Reeves way back when The Matrix was being made. His career with the now 54-year-old actor has been a long and fruitful one, leading into this weekend’s release.

Intriguingly, stunt work led by actors seems to be a common trend on the John Wick sets. Common previously also said he did an incredible “90%” of his own stunts on the set of John Wick: Chapter 2, confirming what Keanu Reeves said here in his interview with Today.

Halle Berry has also been discussing stunt work and the insane shape that she had to get in for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. She noted that she even broke three ribs while she was training to keep up with Keanu Reeves in the latest sequel. Per Berry:

It was a little terrifying at first because he’s so damn good, and I wanted to be on the same level as him. I didn’t want to disappoint him. I broke three ribs when I was rehearsing for John Wick… It’s like a badge of honor for me, we don’t know how it happened.

Halle Berry and her dogs have gotten a lot of notice in the early press and trailers leading into John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. If you haven’t caught the trailer for the movie yet, you can take a look below.

As for Keanu Reeves, the actor also admitted that these days filming action sequences is a little bit different than the earlier days of his career. He said:

Yeah, it’s more about recovery, but with experience, though, you become more efficient and hopefully you get better at what you’re doing.

You can see Keanu Reeves in action as John Wick when Parabellum hits theaters on May 17 and take a look at what the critics have said about the three-quel so far. In addition, you can check out all of the big summer releases coming with our full schedule.

Avengers: Endgame Writers Reveal If Captain America Could Wield The Infinity Gauntlet

Avengers: Endgame Writers Reveal If Captain America Could Wield The Infinity Gauntlet

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Seriously, look away if you haven't seen it.

It's been over two weeks since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and the fandom is still recovering from the wild ride. The Russo Brothers exceeded expectations and even Infinity War in regards to scope and character-driven story, delivering countless plot twists in the massive blockbuster. Chris Evans' Steve Rogers was the subject of more than one twist, although he never got to wield the Infinity Gauntlet himself.

Avengers: Endgame was largely focused on the surviving heroes, as they attempted an epic time heist to gather the Infinity Stones and reverse Thanos' snap. And throughout the movie's insane third act, both Hulk and Tony Stark himself used the Gauntlet to snap their fingers, to major physical harm. But could Captain America have withstood the power of the Gauntlet? Endgame co-writer Christopher Markus recently addressed this possibility, saying:

I think Steve would be toast.

Despite being worthy enough to wield Thor's hammer Mjolnir, it looks like Captain America isn't quite strong enough to handle the immense power of the Infinity Stones. So if he were to slip on the Gauntlet and snap his fingers, Steve Rogers would have ended up thoroughly dead.

Christopher Markus' comments to THR may puzzle some hardcore Marvel fans, as Avengers: Endgame proved just how powerful Cap has been all along. He faced off against Thanos directly, despite not having the same abilities as Thor and Iron Man. And about halfway through their original scuffle with Thanos, Captain America wielded Thor's signature weapon, and laid the smack down to the Mad Titan.

But if he was the one to steal the Infinity Stones from Thanos in that battle, Cap would have been "toast" At least, according to the Avengers: Endgame's writer. Instead, that honor was given to both Iron Man and The Hulk, and it took a lot of both OG Avengers.

Related: Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

Hulk was the first Avenger to wield the Infinity Gauntlet, or at least Tony Stark's version of it. Bruce Banner thought he was the best candidate to wield such power, as the radiation coming from the Stones was primarily Gamma. And he was right, although Hulk got severely injured in the process. His entire right arm was burnt and shrunken from the Gauntlet, a condition that should remain throughout his future in the MCU.

While Bruce Banner succeeded in snapping his fingers and reviving the fallen, the fight wasn't quite over. Thanos traveled through time with his armies, determined to lay waste to the planet. In order to stop him once and for all, Tony swiped the stoles from Thanos and snapped his fingers to reduce the Mad Titan's army to dust. But the power was too much for an average human, and it was a move that ultimately cost him his life.

On the flip side, Captain America was finally given the ending and happiness he deserved. It was a fitting conclusion to Chris Evans' tenure in the MCU, and one that Marvel fans didn't expect to see come to fruition. And if Cap ended up trying to snap Thanos out of existence himself, he'd never have gotten a chance to live out his life with Peggy Carter.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

This Rotten Week: Predicting Aladdin, Booksmart, And Brightburn Reviews

This Rotten Week: Predicting Aladdin, Booksmart, And Brightburn Reviews

The Memorial Day weekend has practically always been a key time for studios to pull out the big guns, and they aren't disappointing in 2019. Disney continues its march to turn its whole animated catalogue into live-action films, two nerds get one last night of high school redemption, and a classic superhero origin story is upended in a creepy way. Get ready for Aladdin, Booksmart and Brightburn.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

Since 2007, Will Smith has acted in exactly one movie - Men in Black III (68%) - that has finished on the positive side of the Tomatometer. The rest of his resume during this time has been at best below average, and at worst sneakily very bad. It includes total stinkers like Bright (25%), Collateral Beauty (14%) and Suicide Squad (27%) along with merely meh flicks like Concussion (59%) and Focus (56%). We just aren’t seeing many fresh tomatoes next to his name. Is Aladdin the film that breaks him out of the critical doldrums? I want to believe it is, but that's far from a certainty.

Guy Ritchie directs Aladdin, and he's had a good amount of success with critics in recent years. The filmmaker helmed a flop last time out in the form of King Arthur (31%), but also has Man From U.N.C.L.E. (67%) and the last two Sherlock Holmes movies (60% and 70% respectively). The trailers for Aladdin make it look like a movie that wants to have fun with the live action version of the Disney classic, while also providing some fresh, stunning visuals. The fact that there are no early reviews has me a little skeptical, but it’s tough to imagine this doesn’t finish, at the minimum, on the positive side of 50 percent.

Being an absolute sucker for the “It’s the last night of our lives as rambunctious youths and our existence will be defined by the next 24 hours” movies, Booksmart looks like it is right in my wheelhouse. Two bookworms on the cusp of high school graduation realize they’ve spent the better part of their teens buried in their studies while being accepted to the same colleges as their fun-having peers, and the only remedy is to cram four years worth of living into one night. Let’s get it on!

Booksmart is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, and early reviews suggest that she knocked it out of the park. It’s sitting at 100% on the Tomatometer with 55 reviews posted, and critics are using using words/phrases like "endlessly funny,” “smart,” and “flawless." This is high praise, and we could be talking about the flick moving into the pantheon of great high school movies when it’s all said and done.

Sometimes an alien baby crash lands to Earth in the middle of America, is raised by a pair of loving farmers and becomes the beacon of hope and good in the world by donning a red cape, flying around, and fighting for justice. And sometimes that alien baby goes, well, a different direction. Such is the case in Brightburn, which looks like the darkest Superman story ever told

A kid, sent from somewhere, realizes he has superpowers and chooses to use them for overwhelming bad on the townsfolk whom he believes have mistreated him. It looks like your standard hero film, just in stark reverse. I think a certain crowd will love this take on the genre, but critics are unlikely to go for it. I think it finishes well below the 50 percent mark.

The Rotten Watch went two for three last week, with two movies finishing within ten percent of my prediction. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (Predicted: 90% Actual: 88%) was a rather easy one considering how many reviews were already in early at the time of publication. This result keeps the rather surprising franchise going, and the first three flicks have scores of 86%, 89% and 88%, respectively. Frankly, that’s almost unbelievable considering the hardcore nature of the movie. Be prepared for many more John Wicks to come.

A Dog’s Journey (Predicted: 59% Actual: 49%) was the other win, just barely falling within range. The follow up to A Dog’s Purpose (34%) finished significantly higher than its predecessor. It apparently still isn’t a good movie by any means, but appeared to fulfill its mission as a vanilla, sappy movie that won’t create any waves and is good enough to bring the whole family to the theater.

Finally, The Sun Is Also A Star (Predicted: 30% Actual: 51%) was a miss. Though still technically rotten, the score fell out of range by a healthy margin. Even critics who gave it positive reviews seemed to do so almost apologetically, admitting the flick had a number of flaws and was heavy on the cliches. Regardless, my score was off the mark.

Next time we’ve got Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, Ma and Rocketman. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

6 Marvel Superhero Teams That Need A Movie

6 Marvel Superhero Teams That Need A Movie

Marvel Studios is on the cusp of kicking off Phase 4, and with a couple key films that will no doubt pave the way for new heroes to emerge in the next decade, now is as good a time as any to give a shout out to some of the Marvel superhero teams that haven't gotten a movie yet. Let's take a look at some of these groups that haven't starred in their own feature, but definitely should in the future.

Ultimates (2015 Lineup)

The Ultimates were originally the Avengers of the Ultimate universe, but they were retooled as just a super group when the two universes merged in Marvel Comics. The lineup consists of heroes MCU fans are well familiar with like Captain Marvel and Black Panther, and also has a few fresh faces such as Spectrum (who filmgoers are actually also familiar with), Blue Marvel and Miss America.

Who better to introduce a slew of new characters than two of the MCU's most commercially successful new heroes? The box office potential of a Captain Marvel/Black Panther film alone should have Marvel Studios salivating. Perhaps this could also serve as the new framework for the Avengers lineup, which will surely change as the years go on. The Ultimates were originally the Avengers of the Ultimate universe, so perhaps it's fitting they be the inspiration for the new lineup?

Nick Fury's Howling Commandos

Marvel has tackled a fair amount of genres in the MCU thus far, but there hasn't been much or really any attempt to tap into the world of monster movies. That could change with Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, an elite squadron of S.H.I.E.L.D. composed of paranormal, but highly skilled agents. This includes characters like a clone of Frankenstein's monster "Frank", The Living Mummy and a character who is literally named Zombie.

Granted, this series is one of those comic book runs that ended before it really even got off the ground. Marvel probably isn't too keen to adapt characters that couldn't last over six issues to the big screen, but I'll argue this is a hilarious premise that adds an extra element of fun to S.H.I.E.L.D. that the MCU should explore. Have these guys locked away in some basement, have a hero stumble upon them and let's see what happens.

Young Avengers

With Marvel's status quo set to change, now might be as good a time as any to establish a younger variant of the Avengers that fans have been waiting to see. I'm talking about some ensemble lineup of the Young Avengers, ideally led by Kate Bishop or Cassie Lang. With rumors of an older Cassie soon making a debut in the MCU and Kate confirmed to be in an upcoming Hawkeye series that's headed to Disney+, why not?

The most exciting project about a Young Avengers movie is that it gives audiences the chance to be wowed again. It provides an opportunity to recapture the same magic of The Avengers, but also gives long-time Marvel fans characters they've waited to see while also giving a mainstream audiences fresh faces to love. The MCU's Phase 4 doesn't have to revolve around this hero team, but it feels like the next decade should feature them in some way.

Spider-Man And Deadpool

It's the hero team up that fans have loved in Marvel comics for years, and one the average MCU fan would almost certainly love to see. Tom Holland and Ryan Reynolds together in a movie? The YouTube marketing alone on that would pull in truckloads of cash, provided Holland doesn't spoil the plot details that Reynolds may or may not have already leaked to the web to get the project made.

In all seriousness, imagine Tom Holland's goofy Peter Parker taken aback and floored by Ryan Reynolds' excessively violent and hilarious Deadpool. If things with the X-Force fall flat, this is where the MCU should send Wade next. The collaboration probably wouldn't be an R-rated adventure, although Marvel should totally roll the dice and see if they can't make Spider-Man cross that barrier given Sony already made it work with Venom. Let's get this movie made!

Annihilators

If ever there was a team Disney could max out its CGI budget with, this is it. The Annihilators is comprised of some of the world's strongest warriors, with an emphasis on each member hailing from a different part of the galaxy. In the comics, the lineup consisted of The Human Quasar, Beta Ray Bill, Silver Surfer, Gladiator and Ronan The Accuser. Together they protected the universe from cosmic threats before the problems escalated too much.

Now Ronan's death in Guardians of the Galaxy may prevent this superhero team from ever coming to fruition, not to mention all the heroes that would have to be established well before this team up happened. Perhaps this is a team for Marvel Studios to consider 20 years down the road, because it doesn't feel like we're gonna get Beta Ray Bill or Silver Surfer in the MCU anytime soon. That said, if these characters all appear sooner than later, we wouldn't be mad.

X-Men ('92 Lineup)

The original X-Men was about the closest lineup the movies have gotten to the coveted 1992 lineup of X-Men that were made iconic through the animated series. Since then, fans have begged for an adaptation of that team for the big screen, but the franchise has been giving audiences everything but that. Now that Marvel has the rights again, could this finally be the time that plans are set in motion to make this team a reality?

If so, there has to be full commitment for it to count. We're talking the full roster, the costumes and even Professor X's incredibly bulky, metal hover-chair. We also need Gambit, which may be a tough sell for many Hollywood producers who are well-aware of the woes that productions have had trying to get that character in a movie. This pick feels like a pipe dream, although it shouldn't be given the love of this team.

Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend as Marvel prepares for Phase 4 of the MCU, and possibly big screen features for a couple of these teams.

Elton John Didn't Want Taron Egerton To Sound Like Him In Rocketman

Elton John Didn't Want Taron Egerton To Sound Like Him In Rocketman

You’ve probably heard by now that actor Taron Egerton does all of his own singing for his role as Elton John in Rocketman. It’s incredible and just adds another layer of authenticity to the performance that helps Taron Egerton disappear into the role. But while being able to sing is a huge deal, Elton John himself had a specific request for the actor playing him, as Taron Egerton explained:

He said not to try and sound like him, which is tough when you’re playing him.

This certainly seems counterintuitive and Taron Egerton said as much when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of Rocketman. When you’re an actor in a biopic, the logical assumption is that you should try to become that person in any and every way possible, from look and mannerisms to way of speaking and, when the subject is a famous rock star, as is the case in Rocketman, singing.

But Elton John did not want Taron Egerton to try and sound like him which is something that the actor had to work on because it went against his instincts in the role. He’s dressed as Elton John and singing Elton John songs, but Elton John doesn’t want him to sound like Elton John. Who knows how much practice was for naught after that request.

Taron Egerton must have been quite taken aback upon hearing this request and had to adjust his whole approach to the singing in the film. Yet, he has said that he really just wanted to make Elton John happy with his performance, so if that’s what Elton wants, that’s what Elton gets.

Taron Egerton didn’t reveal why Elton John made the request that he not try and sound like him, so we are left to speculate. Perhaps hearing Taron Egerton’s singing chops, Elton John just wanted the actor to use his own voice and not try and imitate him because it wouldn’t be as powerful and authentic, and he would sound better if he didn’t.

We know Elton John thought highly of Taron Egerton’s singing, and it sounds like he wanted him to put his own spin on the beloved tunes and express himself as an artist without being afraid to try things because they wouldn’t adhere to what Elton sounds like. The important thing is that the songs sound good and Taron Egerton captures the essence of Elton John’s music, even if he doesn’t sound exactly like him.

This request seems to have worked all around. Rocketman is receiving rave reviews and given that Elton John is sending positive notices to Taron Egerton, one assumes that he was happy with how it all turned out.

Rocketman launches in theaters today. This is just one of the exciting movies arriving this summer, check out the rest in our 2019 Release Schedule and for all your movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Almost Featured Darth Maul’s Original Voice Actor

Solo: A Star Wars Story Almost Featured Darth Maul’s Original Voice Actor

Arguably the biggest surprise from Solo: A Star Wars Story was the cameo from Darth Maul, who was last seen in live action being sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, but had continued on to be a recurring character in the Star Wars universe’s animated realm. While Ray Park returned to physically portray Maul for Solo, Sam Witwer, who previously voiced the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, vocally reprised the character instead of Peter Serafinowicz, who voiced him in The Phantom Menace. As it turns out, though, Serafinowicz did record lines for Solo, though this readings ultimately went unused for the final cut.

Peter Serafinowicz, currently best known for playing The Tick on the same-named Amazon series, traveled to Pinewood Studios to visit the Solo: A Star Wars Story set and speak with director Ron Howard about Darth Maul, specifically what he’d “become” following his defeat on Naboo. Serafinowicz then recorded his lines, and the following day is when Ray Park was brought in to act out Maul’s scenes on camera. Fast-forward to the days leading up to Solo’s release, Serafinowicz was excited to bring his kids and their friends to the movie and have them hear him voice the former Sith Lord, but then he learned how things had changed following the Solo world premiere. As he recalled to Collider Live:

I got this email saying, ‘We’re sorry, but we actually changed the voice actor to Sam Witwer,’ which is kind of fair enough. They said it was better for the continuity of the thing. But it was a bit disappointing.

On the one hand, I understand Peter Serafinowicz being disappointed not to get to hear himself voicing Darth Maul again. After all, though Maul was a Zabrak of few words in The Phantom Menace, Serafinowicz was the one who made him sound sinister and meaning during his introductory appearance, and almost two decades later, he traveled all the way to Pinewood Studios to reprise for Solo: A Star Wars Story. On the other hand, given that Sam Witwer has voiced Maul for nearly a decade and has been integral to the character becoming more interesting, I get why the Solo filmmakers decided to switch to him instead. Still, it would have been nice if Serafinowicz and his family were at least invited to the Solo premiere given his history with Maul and that he contributed to the movie.

Darth Maul was absent from Solo: A Star Wars Story until nearly the very end, when it was revealed that he was Dryden Vos’ boss and the head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Qi’ra contacted Maul to inform him that Dryden Vow and his men had been killed by Tobias Beckett and his accomplices, though she didn’t name Han and Chewbacca as the culprits. Though disappointed by this turn of events, Maul ordered Qi’ra to come to Dathomir so they could start working more closely together. While it doesn’t look like Solo 2 will happen, perhaps there will be an opportunity in the future for Qi’ra and Maul’s relationship to be explored in a Star Wars novel, comic book or, as a best case scenario, a Disney+ series. If not, at least those who haven’t kept up with Maul past the theatrical movies can fill in the blanks of his story by checking out The Clone Wars and Rebels.

While it remains to be seen if/when we’ll see Darth Maul on screen again, the Star Wars saga continues with the release of Episode IX on December 20. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates concerning a galaxy far, far away, and be sure to browse through our 2019 release schedule to plan your trips to the theater this year accordingly.

Is Detective Pikachu Already Getting A Sequel?

Is Detective Pikachu Already Getting A Sequel?

Detective Pikachu has only been in theaters for about a week and half at this point, but in that short time it has proven to be a real all-around success. Beyond pretty good reviews (arguably great for a video game movie), Detective Pikachu has had a solid box office showing-- particularly internationally. So it would come as little surprise if it got a sequel and according to a new report, that’s exactly what’s happening.

According to Comicbook.com, Legendary is moving forward with a sequel to Detective Pikachu. The idea being that the sequel, which is in the early stages of development at this point, would be the next step for the Pokémon universe on film before expanding out the franchise into other Pokémon movies beyond the Detective Pikachu series.

Apparently as Detective Pikachu developed, The Pokémon Company became more comfortable with characters and elements of the franchise being translated onscreen. That gave it ideas and confidence that a more expansive Pokémon world could be rendered cinematically in an effective fashion. If Detective Pikachu was a proof of concept, it did its job.

This news should be viewed as a rumor for now, until there is more concrete information like an official announcement. But it certainly Detective Pikachu getting a sequel would certainly make sense on multiple levels.

As far as dollars and cents are concerned, even though it released in the massive wake of Avengers: Endgame, Detective Pikachu has found an audience. The film debuted to $54.4 million domestic and has made $94.3 million to date according to Box Office Mojo. Overseas the Ryan Reynolds film has enjoyed two straight weekends atop the charts, earning over $196 million for a worldwide box office that is closing in on $300 million.

As previously mentioned, Detective Pikachu has received good reviews that although aren’t quite gushing. But it still cements it as about the best-reviewed video game movie ever. The movie also fared favorably with audiences, earning an “A-“ CinemaScore.

Beyond those more quantitative metrics, there is the fact that star Ryan Reynolds has expressed interest in returning to the world for another entry. He also touched on the potential that the world of Pokémon offers and on that point he is absolutely right. Detective Pikachu did the one job it had to by showing that Pokémon and live-action humans could be believable together on film and it nailed it.

That means that all the wide world of the property could make its way to the big screen with tons of possibilities and a clear path to a cinematic universe. But the first step towards that, if this rumor is to be believed, is Detective Pikachu 2.

Detective Pikachu SPOILERS to follow so don't read on until you've seen it!

My one major question about a potential Detective Pikachu 2 is how does such a film maintain the same conceit as the first film, specifically, the relationship between a talking Pikachu and Justice Smith’s Tim. At the end of the film it is revealed that Tim’s father Harry had his memory wiped and was fused with his Pikachu, thereby allowing him to talk to Tim.

So with that condition reversed by Mewtwo at the end of the movie, a sequel would presumably not have a talking Pikachu. I think it can still work, but it will be a change. Maybe a sequel would have Tim becoming a detective alongside his dad, played by Ryan Reynolds, and his Pikachu and the three can crack an even bigger case together.

Detective Pikachu is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this summer’s biggest movies.