No director is as synonymous with 21st century action filmmaking as Chad Stahelski. The former stuntman reinvented the modern action movie with “John Wick,” which used its intricately choreographed fight sequences and lavish worldbuilding to conjure a blockbuster franchise out of a completely original concept. Stahelski has directed or co-directed all four films in the ever-expanding series, and his penchant for risktaking continues to prove that moviegoers will show up if you offer them something truly new to see.
Stahelski’s artistry and innovation were celebrated when the director was given the Maverick Award at the 2023 IndieWire Honors. Accepting the award at NeueHouse Hollywood on Wednesday, December 6, Stahelski took the opportunity to reflect on the filmmaking influences who have shaped his career. Rather than an action filmmaker, Stahelski singled out an auteur who made his name with a very different style of choreography: song-and-dance legend Bob Fosse.
“One of the biggest inspirations of my career who has always made a difference is Bob Fosse,” Stahelski said while accepting the award. “And one of my favorite Bob Fosse quotes is that 50 percent of directing is coming up with crazy ideas, and the other 50 percent is finding even crazier people to execute them. So on that note, I’d like to thank the people who push me every day. The people who really embody what the Maverick Award should be. And number one is Keanu Reeves, because nobody works harder in Hollywood than Keanu Reeves.”
The parallels between directing musicals and action films have always been apparent to Stahelski. Ahead of the ceremony, he spoke to IndieWire about the elaborate choreography that goes into his action set pieces and the importance of involving the entire crew in his rehearsal processes.
“We train like dancers,” he said of his stunt teams. “There’s a rhythm to it. We choreograph like it’s music, we work on Keanu’s memory, and that’s the stunt part of it — but that’s not what it takes to get a great action sequence. What that takes is 12 other departments being a part of it.”
Veronica Flores conducted all interviews for IndieWire Honors social media videos.
