When John Wick hit theaters in 2014, audiences weren’t quite sure what to expect. Keanu Reeves had been promoting his latest action flick for quite some time, and since it had been years since he headlined his own notable action movie (47 Ronin doesn’t count, folks), we were all pleasantly surprised by the results. Not only was John Wick incredibly stylish, but it was also surprisingly deep considering it centered on a man hell-bent on revenge after the death of his dog. It’s no wonder the 2014 film spawned three Reeves-led sequels, but had the project stuck to its original name, it might never have been an action-packed success story. Titles do matter, and in the case of John Wick, Keanu Reeves’ failure to remember the original name of the picture worked out in the movie’s favor.

What Is ‘John Wick’ About?

If you haven’t seen John Wick, then you’re missing out on one of the best action flicks of the decade. The film follows former hitman John Wick (Reeves) after the passing of his wife, who had ordered her husband a puppy to help him deal with her death. Unfortunately, it’s not long before the Wick home is broken into by a band of Russian gangsters, who not only steal the 1969 Mustang he made plenty of memories with his wife in, but they kill his dog. Turns out, the young criminal who stole Wick’s car is the son of Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), our hero’s former employer and all-around villain.

Nevertheless, Wick pursues his revenge and effectively returns to the criminal underworld he fought so hard to escape from. Even though it gets him even more enemies than ever, Wick takes his revenge the only way he knows how. Reeves re-defines his role in action pictures with the John Wick character, adding a cool calmness to some of the most excessive bits of violence you could imagine. Long gone are the days of shaky-cam fights made popular by The Bourne Identity as John Wick adds expert layers of well-choreographed action in nearly every scene. But what was John Wick originally called? Well, you’ll be glad they changed it.

‘John Wick’s Original Title Is a Long-Forgotten Memory
Image via Lionsgate

In a 2020 interview with Comicbook.com, John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad revealed that the picture was originally called Scorn, but Reeves evidently connected so deeply with his character that he couldn’t remember the screenplay’s five-letter title. “The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick,” Kolstad explained. “Marketing was like, ‘Dude, that’s four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it’s John Wick instead of Scorn.’ I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.” We can’t either. While Scorn isn’t a bad title for a revenge movie, John Wick offers the film a presence that can only be embodied by an actor like Keanu Reeves. There’s a mystery to it that only adds to the world, and given Wick’s own status within that world, it makes complete sense that he would be at the very center.

Kolstad wrote John Wick and its immediate sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, before screenwriters Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams entered for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. “Parabellum was [director Chad Stahelski’s idea] and I love it,” the screenwriter explained. By the time John Wick: Chapter 4 (which sadly didn’t get its own subtitle) came around, Kolstad was booted from the project, with Shay Hatten and Michael Finch taking over writing duties moving forward. “At a certain stage the studio will tell you, your creation is graduated, and you wish it well,” the screenwriter told Collider concerning the news. “I’m still close with Chad (Stahelski), still close with David (Leitch), and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m excited to see.”

The John Wick Franchise Continues To Grow Beyond Keanu Reeves

Given the popularity of the John Wick films, it’s not surprising then that the series has grown into a franchise far beyond Kolstad or even Keanu Reeves. In 2023, Peacock released their three-episode miniseries, The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which further expanded on the strange neo-noir world of hitmen first established in the original. Beyond that, another John Wick television continuation — titled John Wick: Under the High Table — is currently in the works, though we know very little about that project at all.

Related The ‘John Wick’ Universe Is So Compelling Because He’s a “Puppy Avenger” ‘The Continental’s stunt coordinator says Wick’s appeal lies in the simplicity.

There have been plenty of other rumored projects to take place within the John Wick universe, with the next one, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, set to hit theaters in 2025. Had John Wick been called Scorn instead, the movie might not have received the marketing boost that it needed in order to become a sure-fire hit. Though the original 2014 picture is arguably still the best of the bunch, the sequels have continued to live up to the name, as has Reeves himself.

John Wick is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.Release Date October 24, 2014 Runtime 101 minutes Writers Derek Kolstad Studio Summit Entertainment Expand

Rent on Prime Video