In recent years, Bill Skarsgård has been flourishing in the horror and thriller genres, whether it’s through his outings as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the two IT movies or his different roles in Hulu’s short-lived Castle Rock series. But following a few outings in the action genre, Skarsgård is returning to that realm for John Wick: Chapter 4, and the actor has shed light on why he decided to board the latest entry of the Keanu Reeves-led franchise.
While promoting his new movie Nine Days, Bill Skarsgård informed Collider that in addition to being a fan of action movies in general, he also welcomed the opportunity to work with Chad Stahelski, who’s directed all of the John Wick movies so far (though he co-helmed the first installment with David Leitch, who worked with Skarsgård on Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2). Here’s what Skarsgård specifically had to say about his involvement in John Wick: Chapter 4:
I think the movies are very entertaining. I've always been a fan of these kinds of over-the-top, exploitive action movies. Chad [Stahelski] reached out to me and I met him a few times, and I really liked him. It was a really fun role. I'm not gonna go into detail [about] what it is, but it was a fun role and a fun world. I like the movies. I think they're entertaining and it is something that I haven't really done before. That's always something that does inspire me, for whatever it is. It's like, 'OK, this is a project or genre or something that I haven't done, so let's try it out and let's have fun within those genre constraints.' So, I'm really looking forward to it.
So novelty also factored into Bill Skarsgård’s decision to join John Wick: Chapter 4, with the actor later acknowledging that while he’s done a lot of horror, he also appreciates the opportunity to work within other genres, like comedy and action. In his eyes, that’s the key to longevity in the acting business, and Chapter 4 boasted enough uniqueness for Skarsgård to want to get in on the fun. Skarsgard’s confirmation of taking part in Chapter 4 arrives a little over a month after his casting was first reported.
While Bill Skarsgård didn’t provide any specific details about his John Wick: Chapter 4 character, including their identity, he did mention that the role doesn’t require any fight training. So even though Chapter 4 provided Skarsgård to work in the action genre again, it doesn’t sound like his character will be throwing down in fisticuffs with Keanu Reeves’ titular protagonist. Perhaps like Asian Kate Dillon’s Adjudicator in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Skarsgård’s character handles more cerebral affairs for the High Table, rather than hurting or killing people on their behalf.
Bill Skarsgård is just one of the many newcomers being brought aboard for John Wick: Chapter 4, with others including Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror. As far as familiar faces go, Keanu Reeves will be joined by Ian McShane’s Winston, Lance Reddick’s Charon and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King. Principa photography began last month in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany, and more filming will take place in New York City and Japan.
While we wait for more updates on John Wick: Chapter 4, which is slated for May 27, 2022. find out what other movies are coming out next year with our 2022 release schedule.
