The titular John Wick is preparing to embark on his fourth outing, a narrative that will no doubt end with the excommunicated assassin leaving dozens, if not hundreds, of dead bodies in his wake. This time around, Keanu Reeves is sharing the spotlight with yet another acting legend, the Japanese actor and martial artist best known for his role in Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Edward Zwick’s The Last Samurai.
Hiroyuki Sanada is portraying a character named Shimazu, who, according to the trailer, will give Jonathan a very needed reality check by telling him: “No one, not even you, can kill everyone.”
Well, something tells us that you’re going to regret those words, Mr. Shimazu, even if you think you know what the pencil-wielding hitman is capable of. Sanada recently chatted with CinemaBlend about his upcoming role in the John Wick franchise, noting that his previous collaboration with Keanu Reeves on 47 Ronin has informed their dynamic for this production.
“I worked with Keanu before on 47 Ronin, almost like 10 years ago. So it was a great reunion, and then we have that kind of history in real life, so we could use that kind of atmosphere or chemistry in the movie. So that kind of relationship is in the movie too. That’s the biggest hint.”
Sanada is hinting that Shimazu and Wick’s relationship will echo that of the duo they portrayed in 47 Ronin. But since that movie failed to resonate with audiences — and that’s putting it really, really lightly — I think it’d be more reasonable to hold on our judgment until John Wick: Chapter 4 makes its way to theaters on March 24, 2023.
Published: Aug 2, 2022 12:49 pm