Actress producer and director Eva Longoria was the surprising savior director Chad Stahelski was looking for when John Wick was in production. Unbeknownst to many, the action-packed movie almost didn’t get made after they ran out of financing.
As Stahelski shared on the movie’s 10th anniversary, John Wick was in its final stages when they found themselves lacking the funds to complete it. At that point, Stahelski, producer David Leitch, and the film’s star Keanu Reeves had all infused their own money into the movie, but one of the investors wasn’t able to raise enough money in time. The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was raising finances, and they offered actors the option to invest.
Enter Longoria, who invested $6 million, which was the Hail Mary the production needed to finish John Wick and get it released. Stahelski was only made aware of their investor’s identity when the movie became a successful hit. The director was surprised to learn that it was the actress who provided the funding, and during their first meeting over lunch, Stahelski recalled Longoria confessing, “I didn’t think it was going to work.”
John Wick made $86 million at the box office on a $20 million budget, and its success spawned three more movies in the franchise. While many fans are clamoring for a fifth John Wick movie, nothing is in the works right now. However, Stahelski and Reeves are not closing their doors to the possibility. “If we felt we weren’t ripping the fans off and had more to give, I’d do it tomorrow. I just don’t have that right now,” the director told Business Insider.
Eva Longoria is still earning from her investment
Longoria has come a long way since investing in John Wick. In an interview with Business Insider, the Desperate Housewives actress how she came to be an investor in the movie. Admittedly, Longoria wasn’t well-versed back then when it came to putting money into a film, and when the offer came, she said, “So, how does this work?”
The actress shared that she loves “investing in people.” It was clear to her that the filmmakers were passionate about the movie, describing them as having the “hunger and scrappiness” that she herself possessed. The investment was a smart move, as Longoria said she still receives checks from the movie and is sure she has earned more than twice the $6 million she shelled out. However, she has one regret that she’s pissed off about.
“What I’m pissed off about is I wasn’t connected to the rest of them. This was a one-time thing. That was the gamble. But that was my only mistake, not being attached to all of the films.”
Despite missing the chance to finance the other John Wick films, Longoria’s investment portfolio is not lacking. She launched her own production company, has part ownership of the Angel City FC soccer team, and invested in the tequila brand Casa Del Sol, among other things. The actress says she’s always offered investment opportunities left and right, but said she chooses where to put her money in based on whether they have a purpose. According to her, it isn’t just about giving money, but also entails a lot of hard work on her part.
When asked whether she would have been willing to go the investing route if John Wick had not been successful, Longoria said she doesn’t know, but one thing she always asks herself whenever opportunities arise is, “How much am I willing to lose?” For the last several years, Longoria has put her focus on her media company, and is always on the lookout for new material to produce and direct.