Fans of the “John Wick” movie franchise were shocked to learn Friday of the sudden death of actor Lance Reddick, who played Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel’s New York City establishment in the film’s universe.
Reddick, 60, died of natural causes in Los Angeles, leaving behind his wife, Stephanie Reddick; children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick; and legions of fans who came to know his incredible work not only in the John Wick movies but also on HBO’s drama “The Wire,” in which Lance Reddick played a crusading officer in his native hometown of Baltimore.
The day before his unexpected death, March 16, Reddick spoke with amNewYork Metro in a Zoom interview as part of a remote media blitz ahead of the film’s release.
Having seen how the films have played out over the years, Reddick was proud to be part of this latest chapter in the “John Wick” franchise.
“It feels a little surreal. We shot the first film, which was 10 years ago this year, I just never imagined that the film would, number one, be a blockbuster, and number two, spawn the sequels,” said Reddick. “Every few years, [“John Wick”] would come up, I forget about it and then it would come up again, like, oh, another one! The fact that each of them seems to just be bigger than the last is just kind of astounding to me.”
In “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the action is bigger and better than ever. John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, manages to find a path to defeating The High Table once and for all, but before he can earn his freedom, he has to face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
“Well, first of all, the thing to remember and it’s easy to forget because there’s so many years in between them, each one picks up almost exactly where the last one left off,” said Reddick. “If you remember at the end of ‘John Wick 3’, Winston (played by Ian McShane) shot him in the chest and knocked him off the side of the building and he was rescued by Lawrence Fishburne’s character and at the end of that film, he vows revenge kind of on everybody. So this one opens up with him on his way to get revenge pretty much on the whole High Table.”
Reddick said that this film is more action-packed than before, with the setting taking you all over the world from Paris and Berlin to Osaka and Jordan. However, this time around, it’s not just John Wick’s individual story that is coming to the forefront this time around.
“What’s different about this is that something happens that triggers a storyline for Winston, he almost becomes the Gloucester to Wick’s Lear, so you’ve got kind of these, these parallel storylines of revenge that are, that are, that are connected because they’re helping each other,” said Reddick.
Reddick told amNewYork Metro that some of the best martial artists are in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” leading to some high-intensity action sequences that will amaze audiences, also noting that some of the sequences are “mind-blowing.”
“Your mind keeps getting blown for the rest of the movie,” said Reddick.
Reddick said that “John Wick: Chapter 4” may cause viewers to have different reactions, but will have people on the edge of their seats by the end.
“The best thing I could say is that I hope they walk away with if they say, ‘Wow, if there had to be a fourth movie, this is the way to do it,’” said Reddick. “It might be the most action-heavy, not just action, but the body count is so high and the action scenes have so many people in them. I also think people are gonna be left with like wow, will there be another one? How would that be possible?”
“John Wick: Chapter 4” premieres in theaters on March 24. According to the Associated Press, the film will now be dedicated in Reddick’s memory.
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