Lionsgate has pulled back the curtain on the world of assassins, bespoke bulletproof suits, and bullet ballets with the first trailer for Wick Is Pain, a feature-length documentary that chronicles the improbable birth and white‑hot rise of the John Wick franchise. Far from a glossy highlight reel, the film promises a warts‑and‑all account of how a modest revenge thriller—born from a pair of veteran stunt experts hungry to direct—morphed into a global box‑office juggernaut, reshaping modern action cinema along the way.
The teaser opens with Keanu Reeves staring into camera, half‑smiling as if revisiting a private memory. “People say, ‘How did you get here?’” he begins over rapid‑fire clips of muzzle flashes, suit fittings, and rehearsal mats. “Well, it hurt.” From there, the trailer barrels through a montage of never‑before‑seen footage shot in 2013, when rookie filmmakers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch—then best known for doubling A‑list stars and designing fight choreography—scrambled to make their directorial debut on a shoestring budget. Stahelski, who ultimately took sole directing credit, admits on‑camera that the production “lost its primary financing three days before cameras were to roll,” forcing everyone from Reeves to the catering crew to accept deferred payments just to keep the dream alive.
The documentary assembles an impressive roster of talking heads: Reeves; Stahelski; Thunder Road producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee; cinematographer Jonathan Sela; gun‑fu guru Jon Valera; and the stunt performers of 87eleven Action Design, many of whom describe John Wick as “film school, boot camp, and a bar fight rolled into one.” They recount fraught night shoots in Brooklyn, a lightning storm that shorted out a Russian bathhouse set, and a pivotal moment when Reeves insisted on performing a risky staircase tumble that insurers explicitly forbade. In a voice‑over, Lee says, “Every time Keanu went down those concrete steps, the crew held its breath. If he broke an arm, the movie was done.”
One of the documentary’s most dramatic threads explores the fallout between Stahelski and Leitch during post‑production. Friends and colleagues recall heated debates over pacing, color grading, and whether to kill John’s dog in the first act—an audacious narrative choice that ultimately became the series’ emotional core. Though the two filmmakers eventually reconciled (Leitch went on to direct Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Bullet Train), they candidly discuss how the stress of that first shoot nearly severed their partnership forever.
Yet the pain, as the title insists, yielded extraordinary rewards. The original film’s $15 million budget returned nearly $90 million worldwide and spawned three sequels, each escalating in scale and inventiveness. Reeves reflects on the physical toll of training—hours of judo rolls, tactical reloads, and live‑fire drills—while Stahelski marvels at how their “low‑budget indie” evolved into a billion‑dollar franchise. “We thought we’d maybe sell out a few midnight screenings,” he admits. “Ten years later, we’re crashing Times Square with horseback chases.”
In a press statement accompanying the trailer, Reeves said, “I’m thrilled fans will finally see what it took to bring John Wick to life—both the artistry and the insanity.” Stahelski echoed the sentiment: “Our motto was, ‘Art through adversity.’ The audience’s embrace turned every bruise into a badge of honor.” Producers Iwanyk and Lee added that the documentary aims to inspire aspiring filmmakers, proving that inventive action and committed collaboration can overcome budget woes and logistical nightmares.
Wick Is Pain will premiere later this year on streaming and limited theatrical screens, featuring over two hours of archival footage, storyboard comparisons, and candid roundtable discussions. For devotees wondering how a grieving hitman and a stolen Mustang sparked a pop‑culture phenomenon, this deep dive offers the definitive answer—with all the bumps, bruises, and bullet casings left in.
The documentary is directed by Jeffrey Doe, produced by Josh Oreck, Gabriel Roth, and Matthew Sidle, and executive produced by Tina Carter, Chad Stahelski, and Keanu Reeves.
Wick is Pain will screen exclusively at Beyond Fest at the American Cinematheque on May 8, and will be available to buy on Digital HD platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and YouTube, among others, the following day, May 9. It's already available for pre-order.
Watch the trailer below:
WICK IS PAIN is the incredible true story behind the John Wick franchise, starring Keanu Reeves. In never-before-seen footage captured over a decade on and off set, the film chronicles John Wick’s journey from independent film—facing a mountain of creative, financial, and personal challenges—into a global phenomenon that redefined the action genre and launched three megahit sequels. Join Keanu Reeves, director Chad Stahelski, and the extended Wick cast and crew as they go behind the scenes of this billion-dollar franchise that almost never happened.