'John Wick: Chapter 4' BTS look teases 'new levels of action' and Keanu's mad driving skills

In a behind-the-scenes featurette devoted to the arduous, yet insanely rewarding, production of John Wick: Chapter 4 (in theaters next month), Keanu Reeves promises "all of that John Wick swag," which includes the usual touchstones: "the cars, the weapons, the jujitsu."

But if you thought the action-adventure franchise was hardcore in its first three outings, then you ain't seen nothing yet, folks. "It's new levels of action," teases Reeves, pointing out that he trained nonstop for about 12 weeks in order to nail down the sheer amount of physicality and coordination required for this sequel. "John Wick action asks just a little bit more and you see the effort and the commitment from the team."

RELATED: Keanu Reeves explains how 'The Matrix' films informed the action-packed world of 'John Wick'

For that major set piece around Paris's Arc de Triomphe, for example (see the final trailer for reference on what we're talking about), Reeves needed to learn how to properly drive a car without doors and a windshield, while also being able to wield and reload a gun at the same time. "He actually started getting too good in the car," notes stunt coordinator Scott Rogers. "Keanu's attitude and the talent — whether it's handling a gun, how it reloads — it's compelling to see him do it."

Check out the featurette below:

Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (Barbarian), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Shamier Anderson (Invasion), Lance Reddick (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Rina Sawayama (Turn up Charlie), Scott Adkins (Section 8), Clancy Brown (Cowboys & Aliens), and Ian McShane (American Gods) round out the talented ensemble.

Chad Stahelski returns to direct, working off a screenplay penned by the duo of Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and Michael Finch (Predators). He also produced the film with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. Reeves is an executive producer with Louise Rosner, David Leitch, and Michael Paseorn. The entire series is based on characters originally created by Derek Kolstad.

During an interview with Empire magazine in late 2022, Stahelski admitted that things "get a little scary after the third one, because we now have a formula that works." The trick to keeping things fresh, he continued, was finding a way to break the blueprint, "throw caution to the wind and say, 'F*** it, we're not doing that again."

John Wick: Chapter 4 rides into theaters everywhere Friday, March 24. Peacock's The Continental — a prequel series which takes place in 1975 and centers around young hotel manager, Winston Scott (Colin Woodell playing the character made famous on the big screen by McShane) — debuts later this year.

Refresh yourself on all the puppy snuggles and gunplay with the first three John Wick movies — now streaming on Peacock.