“I don’t do stunts,” Keanu Reeves said at the premiere of the documentary Wick Is Pain. “Stunt people do stunts. They’re like, ‘Look at all those stunts you did.’ I’m like, ‘F–k that. Jackson [Spidell] just got hit by a car twice.’ I don’t do stunts. I do action.”
Reeves made the distinction during a Q&A following a special Beyond Fest screening at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theater in Santa Monica where he was joined by the creators of the John Wick franchise. The two-hour documentary, now available on VOD, chronicles Reeves’ intense training for each film and his execution of John Wick’s violent rampages.
Across four films — and a cameo in the upcoming spinoff From the World of John Wick: Ballerina — Reeves portrays Wick, a legendary assassin drawn back into the underworld after gangsters kill his dog. That single event sets off a chain reaction that expands throughout the sequels, exploring the world of assassins, the High Table that governs them, and the Continental hotels where they find sanctuary.
Wick Is Pain offers a behind-the-scenes look at director Chad Stahelski’s 87eleven training facility. The film reveals that Stahelski installed security cameras to monitor Reeves’ training remotely, even instructing the trainers not to stop until Reeves completed 50 somersaults.
After the screening, Reeves reflected on “the surveillance cameras in the corners of the dojo with the guys who are training me. I’m hearing stories like, ‘Why aren’t you making him do 100 of those?’”
Reeves mimed throwing up — a gesture Wick Is Pain confirms hasn’t deterred him from continuing his rigorous training.
“Yeah, let’s do some more because Wick is pain and you f–king love it,” Reeves said, prompting cheers from the sold-out crowd.
Stahelski, who first worked with Reeves on The Matrix, has long specialized in action design. His company, 87eleven, became a leading stunt and second-unit team even before he took the director’s chair. David Leitch, who co-directed the original John Wick, also appears in Wick Is Pain.
Stahelski noted that Reeves’ physical preparation serves more than just choreography — it supports storytelling.
