‘John Wick 3’ Release Date: Why Director Chad Stahelski Fought to Keep Horse Scene in Third Installment

“John Wick 3” is touted to be crazier and more ridiculous compared to its two predecessors. Where the first movie was somewhat tamed in its over-the-top action sequences, the second film was made with more absurd stunts.

But in “John Wick 3,” the titular assassin will face foes that are deadlier than any he has faced before; his methods getting more and more outrageous. The $14 million bounty has attracted killers from different cities, with some of them having skills sets that may rival – or even surpass – Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) own.

Expect horses, cars, motorbikes, knives, guns, guns, and even more guns. And speaking of horses, that popular scene from “John Wick 3” that was leaked months prior wasn’t supposed to make it into production. In this GQ cover story, director Chad Stahelski revealed that he had to fight the studio in order for them to agree that the film will feature Wick riding a horse and killing people on motorbikes. Stahelski said that they’ve made “John Wick 3” with the idea of incorporating everything that Reeves can pull off.

“We sat down and I said, ‘Give me everything you can do really well.’ And we put all that in the movies. Drive a car, check the box. Ride a horse, check the box. Nobody wanted the horses. I had to fight for that one. People thought it was too weird.” The apprehension proved off the mark since when photos of that particular scene got leaked on the web, the Twitterverse exploded with memes about “John Wick 3.”

And the memes were overwhelmingly positive with fans already itching to see the third entry. As for what “John Wick 3” will mean for the franchise, it seems that it’s going to be setting up more materials for future projects.

It’s already been announced that Starz will be making a spin-off series based on the franchise, mainly on the enigmatic Continental Hotel. Tickets for “John Wick 3” are already available as the film is slated to hit theaters on May 15.