John Wick 4

The 59-year-old action legend looked to go beyond Asian stereotypes for his character in the upcoming Keanu Reeves film.

In XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, Yen also got to showcase more personality by being more than a stoic, mustache-twirling villain, and adding a swagger and sense of humor to his character. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Yen also wanted to make sure his character was very much a character from a galaxy far, far away. Despite the initial character snag, Yen had a great time working on the film. In the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4, Yen is expected to face off against the star, [Keanu Reeves](https://www.joblo.com/john-wick-chapter-4-keanu-reeves-next-level-action/), in a battle to rival all you’ve seen so far. If you ever find yourself in a fight with Donnie Yen, you better make sure you’re prepared to lose.

The name was Shang or Chang,” Yen said in a recent interview. "Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang?"

Elsewhere in the profile, Yen talks about his own feelings about a Hollywood moment that finally seems to be catching up to the greatness of Asian performers. “I had a very respectful experience working on John Wick,” Yen says in the interview. [A couple of years back](https://www.avclub.com/donnie-yen-is-teaming-up-with-keanu-for-john-wick-4-1847029696), we reported that Donnie Yen—one of the greatest action stars of all time, and a legend in the world of Hong Kong filmmaking—was signing on for a role in the upcoming [John Wick: Chapter 4](https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/john-wick-chapter-4-2023).

Donnie Yen revealed that his roles in 'John Wick' and 'Star Wars' were changed after calling out their scripts for using Asian stereotypes.

Doesn’t smile,” Yen said to GQ, revealed that he suggested making the character blind and gave him a sense of humour. Before John Wick, Yen experienced the same form of typecasting in his role as Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Why do you have to be so generic?

Yen is the latest Asian action star to find Hollywood fame, following the likes of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee. After starring in blockbusters like Rogue ...

Why do you have to be so generic? Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? Why can’t he have a normal name?

Much like other beloved Chinese actors before him, like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the late Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen has found Hollywood fame after becoming a big ...

Donnie Yen shared that the character was originally a generic martial arts warrior before he suggested the character be blind and have a sense of humor in the movie. [said he would “consider it”](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2572726/rogue-ones-donnie-yen-shares-thoughts-on-returning-to-the-star-wars-franchise) if Disney felt there was more story to tell. Reeves has teased his work on the upcoming release [“hardest movie” he’s ever done](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/keanu-reeves-called-john-wick-4-the-hardest-movie-of-his-career-so-what-insane-action-sequences-are-coming). Yen has yet to return to the Star Wars universe since playing his 2016 role, but he’s After starring in blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the live-action Mulan in recent years, the next franchise the actor is putting his stamp on is John Wick for the upcoming fourth movie. When it comes to making a decision as to whether to take a role, the actor asks himself if the role is “generic” and if it’s respectful to Chinese culture.

Los Angeles: Actor Donnie Yen is making his 'John Wick' debut in the upcoming fourth installment as Caine, a blind assassin caught between his ties to the ...

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ director Chad Stahelski listened to Yen’s criticism and agreed to modify the character. Why do you have to be so generic? “Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang?

The actor asked: "Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang?"

Why can't he look cool and fashionable?" "Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? "Why can't he have a normal name? Collaborating with director Chad Stahelski, Yen altered Caine's wardrobe, saying the new look seen in the film is a bit of an homage to Bruce Lee. Why do you have to be so generic? "The name was Shang or Chang," he said.

Donnie Yen talks about unconscious Asian stereotypes in Hollywood films and why he changed his John Wick 4 character's name and costumes.

Jordan on His “Extremely Personal” Journey With the Franchise](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/creed-iii-premiere-michael-b-jordan-journey-franchise-1235339596/) So as a martial arts film icon, Yen isn’t someone to be ignored or toyed with on movie sets. His talent also extends beyond acting in movies to producing, directing and choreographing projects as well. Against that career achievement, and barring on-set freedom and creativity, Yen isn’t especially interested in Hollywood roles these days. Not that the Hong Kong actor wants to knock his latest movie gig for disrespecting Chinese culture or playing safe with his character. In the early drafts of the script, Yen’s character, Chirrut Îmwe, was the same generic martial arts warrior he recognized in staple Hong Kong movies. Why can’t he look cool and fashionable?” he added about his Caine character. “One thing I pointed out is he was a stereotype. “I had a very respectful experience working on John Wick. Why can’t he have a normal name? Why do you have to be so generic?” Everybody’s supposed to be cool and fashionable.

While speaking with GQ recently, 'John Wick 4' star Donnie Yen shared that he felt his character was 'so generic' and insisted on modifying his name and ...

Doesn't smile," the actor recalled, noting that it was his idea to make Chirrut blind and that he improvised the character's jokes on set. … So it was really fun to get a chance to learn those skills, and to play." "One thing I pointed out is he was a stereotype. Elsewhere in the interview, Yen noted that this kind of typecasting is not unique to this role. Why can't he look cool and fashionable?" Why do you have to be so generic?"

John Wick: Chapter 4, which opens in theaters on March 24, is projected to have the highest opening weekend box office take of the entire franchise.

Fury of the Gods](https://screenrant.com/shazam-2-movie-story-release-date-sequel-updates/). However, John Wick: Chapter 4 even blows Chapter 2 ($30.4 million) and Chapter 3 ($56.8 million) out of the water. [John Wick: Chapter 4](https://screenrant.com/tag/john-wick-4/) is currently projected to have the best opening weekend of the entire franchise.

The last movie, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum opened to $56.8M and was finaled at $171M domestic, $328.3M WW in what was the highest grossing installment in ...

Reeves isn’t starring in the series which was created by Shawn Simmons, Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward. Similar to Chapter 3, Chapter 4 is hot with older guys and older women. The studio had a nice win last weekend with the faith-based title Jesus Revolution which opened to $15.8M and just crossed $20M yesterday. The Continental, is told from the perspective of the hotel manager, a young Winston Scott, played by Colin Woodell, who is based on Ian McShane’s character in the films. The movie is also overindexing with Black moviegoers. It’s another solid opening in what is a back-to-back tentpole programmed spring.

Every John Wick movie has made more money than the last for its first weekend, and Chapter 4 is expected to continue that trend.

For comparison, 2014's original John Wick earned [$14.4 million](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2911666/?ref_=bo_se_r_1) in its first weekend, while Chapter 2 made [$30.4 million](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4425200/?ref_=bo_se_r_3) to start. The John Wick series is extending beyond the main series, with a spin-off movie called Ballerina in the works with Ana de Armas set to star. John Wick: Chapter 4 brings back Keanu Reeves as the title character, with Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane reprising their characters from the earlier movies. Chapter 3 continued the upward trend, banking [$56.8 million ](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt6146586/?ref_=bo_se_r_4)over its first stateside weekend, and Chapter 4 is expected to have an even bigger start. The movie also stars Bill Skarsgard, Clancy Brown, and Donnie Yen. [according to Deadline](https://deadline.com/2023/03/john-wick-chapter-4-box-office-keanu-reeves-1235276778/).

IMAX tickets for John Wick: Chapter 4, which stars Keanu Reeves and Bill Skarsgård, are currently on sale.

The film is directed by Chad Stahelski from a screenplay by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. In doing so, John Wick will have to face off against the world's greatest assassins. And the next installment of the film franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4, will soon be released, giving us a much-needed [Keanu Reeves](http://collider.com/tag/keanu-reeves/) fight scene fix.

Donnie Yen is joining the world of assassins in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Caine, an old friend of Keanu Reeves' eponymous gun-fu action hero.

Doesn’t smile,” Yen said, adding that it was his idea to make Chirrut blind when expressing these concerns to the Rogue One creative team. The actor also shared in his GQ interview that he had a “very respectful experience working on John Wick.” Donnie Yen is joining the world of assassins in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Caine, an old friend of Keanu Reeves’ eponymous gun-fu action hero.

A new teaser for John Wick: Chapter 4 teases the new and returning characters that will appear in the film.

The movie sees John facing a new nemesis before his final showdown with the High Table in John Wick: Chapter 5, and will also pave the path for the Ana de Armas-led spin-off, Ballerina. The story will take its own twists and turns as old friends turn into new foes, but he isn’t alone, and a new teaser shows that help is at hand while John is on a run with ample bounty on his head. Over the course of three movies, the franchise has raised the stakes along with the body count.

A new poster for John Wick: Chapter 4, in theaters this month, has been released, highlighting the assassin's past.

While John can single-handedly take down any number of men and can potentially convert any mundane object into a lethal weapon in times of need, he has often looked up to characters like Anjelica Huston’s The Director, the head of the Ruska Roma, who’ll reprise her role in Chapter 4. Over the course of three movies, the makers have managed to make John more and more mysterious, delving into the sense of him being a myth come to life. This week fans are being treated with exclusive posters made by [12 handpicked artists from 9 different countries.](https://collider.com/john-wick-4-artist-posters-announced/) The latest poster comes from Mexican artist Orlando Arocena that juxtaposes our favorite assassin with his mystical routes.

Donnie Yen urged "John Wick 4" director Chad Stahelski to change his character's name to give him a non-"generic" sounding moniker.

When you add that to the many years of John Wick training that Keanu Reeves has invested, you end up with something very special.” During [Variety’s Actors on Actors series](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/cate-blanchett-michelle-yeoh-tar-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1235451411/), Yeoh said she did not like the name Michelle Wang for her character. “The only thing I said to [directors the Daniels] was, ‘The character cannot be called Michelle Wang.’ They’re like, ‘But why? “Why can’t he look cool and fashionable?” Why do you have to be so generic?” “Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang?

Keanu Reeves is back as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4, coming to theaters on March 24, 2023, and today we have a trio of clips that put Wick and co.

Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it’s too late. A follow-up film from the same team behind 2018’s “Screenlife” thriller Searching, this year’s Missing was released in theaters back in January, pulling in $36.6 million at the worldwide box office. Chad Stahelski (John Wick 1-3) will again direct.

Here's everything to know about 'John Wick: Chapter 4,' starring Keanu Reeves, ahead of its March 24, 2023, release date.

[uncovers a path to defeating the High Table](https://johnwick.movie/film/john-wick-4/about)." He was also [spotted chatting with fans](https://people.com/movies/keanu-reeves-enjoys-his-time-in-berlin-as-he-shoots-john-wick-4/) outside of his hotel. "You have to see how the audience responds to what we did," he said. It's such a different experience," the franchise's director said. He was originally going to play a part for me in John Wick 3 but he tore his Achilles tendon right before," Stahelski shared. He's one of the greats," Wick said during an The two-minute, 29 seconds-long clip opens with a conversation between John Wick and his old friend, Caine. "They really trained me up to be able to have what we call the toolbox," he explained. Wick — and he says John Wick: Chapter 4 is the most intense installment yet. You see the effort and the commitment from the [stunt] team." It was really fun to get a chance to learn those skills, and to play." "We took the car-driving to the next level, which I really enjoy," Reeves told Total Film.

The actor told GQ that he criticized the John Wick: Chapter 4 script for featuring a character that perpetuates Asian stereotypes. “The name was Shang or Chang, ...

Doesn’t smile,” Yen said, adding that it was his idea to make Chirrut blind when expressing these concerns to the Rogue One creative team. The actor also shared in his GQ interview that he had a “very respectful experience working on John Wick.” Donnie Yen is joining the world of assassins in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Caine, an old friend of Keanu Reeves’ eponymous gun-fu action hero.

If this prediction holds true, it would be the highest domestic opening for the R-rated Keanu Reeves franchise. This would mark another successful launch for ...

This is expected to facilitate trade as the West ratchets up sanctions on Russia. Although Keanu Reeves is not starring in ‘The Continental’, the show boasts a talented ensemble cast. A spin-off movie, Ballerina, featuring Ana de Armas is already in the making. [Lionsgate](/topic/lionsgate)'s ‘ [John Wick](/topic/john-wick): Chapter 4’, is set to release soon with an impressive projected opening of $60 million -$70 million. Moreover, the projected opening for Chapter 4 would be Lionsgate's biggest debut since the pandemic began. Additionally, the film is performing well among Black moviegoers.