If you are a fan of action movies, then you will definitely know about John Wick. If you do not know, well, here it is! “John Wick” is a movie franchise known for its power-packed action sequences. Keanu Reeves plays the main character of John Wick, who is a legendary hitman and is forced out of retirement to avenge the death of his beloved puppy Daisy, which was a final gift from his late wife.
You must be wondering, why we are talking about John Wick here! Well, by now, many of you might have guessed it right! Yes, it is about Wick’s dogs. It won’t be wrong if we say that dogs have always been an inseparable and important part of the film’s story.
The movie franchise, which has had four chapters until now, had dogs playing major roles in them. After the Beagle Daisy, at the end of the first instalment, Wick adopts another dog- Pit Bull named Burton AKA Bubba.
In the third instalment, the Pit bull returns, however, this time, it is played by a different actor, a female pit bull named Cha Cha. In Chapter 4, a new dog the Belgian Malinois is introduced.
Andy/Daisy The Beagle
Chapter 1 had a Beagle named Daisy, which was played by an animal actor named Andy. Apparently, the eight-month-old dog was purchased from a breeder specifically for the film, and it was his first role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76rGp7C1Erk
As mentioned previously, this little puppy meant a lot to Wick as it was presented as a token of love and care by his beloved late wife. After his wife’s death, his life revolved only around two things- his vintage Mustang and Daisy. But the situation turned upside down when Daisy was ruthlessly murdered by Italian mafia boss Santino. Not only did Santino blow up and burn down Wick’s home, but he also killed his Beagle and delivered the infamous line, “No wife. No home. No dog. You have nothing, John. Vengeance is all you have left.” This enraged Wick, who went into revenge mode.
On the other hand, despite ten minutes of screen presence, Daisy left a huge impact, becoming a significant part of the story.
Here are a few interesting titbits about the movie and the puppy Andy:
- In the film, the puppy was named Daisy by Wick’s wife to keep her memory alive. The bracelet of hers that John carries has daisies and even the coffee mug has the image of the flower on it.
- As per the New York Post, Animal Actors International Trainer Kim Krafsky helped the directors find the perfect canine and picked a beagle as she felt “There’s this thing about them, they’re just cute. They’re not overly large or small, they’re just a cuddly breed with those big sad eyes”. It took her and her team about two weeks to find the right puppy for the film.
- Krafsky also mentioned in her NYpost interview that working with a dog whose character gets brutally killed made everyone on the set emotional. She recalled how the director called “cut” every time and then lovingly picked up the dog and cuddled him. The entire cast and crew were smitten by Andy, Reeves, in particular, formed a strong bond with the dog.
- Apparently, the producers were hesitant to kill the puppy in the film, as they felt that audiences hate seeing dogs die, and killing it would turn viewers away in droves. But the directors were adamant because, for the plot to develop, Daisy’s death was necessary.
- When Wick’s dog pooped, the filmmakers paid $5,000 to create fake CGI poop on the grass. Director Chad Stahelski said, “They wouldn’t let us give laxatives to the puppy.”
- Andy walked the red carpet with Reeves and other cast members when the film premiered. After this, the puppy returned to the Animal Actors International farm in New Jersey.
- Later, Krafsky introduced Andy to one of her friends, who hit off instantly and the friend ended up adopting Andy.
John Wick Chapter 2 & 3- The Pit Bulls- Bubba & Cha Cha
At the end of the first instalment, Wick sees a gray pit bull puppy in a cage while treating his wounds in a vet’s office. Wick is shown releasing the dog and walking off with it- like two lost and lone souls- who have each other’s back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xZKHX91z9I
Because of the traumatic past, Wick doesn’t name the pit bull and calls it “boy” or “dog”. He also doesn’t train it to fight. The unnamed pup appears in a few non-violent scenes in Chapters 2 and 3.
The unnamed dog from the sequel in real life is named Burton. Reeves calls it Bubba, lovingly. Apparently, this pit bull is a rescue dog and was selected for the film because of his endearing appearance. What the director loved about the dog and thought would be a big hit with the audience was its puppy-dog eyes and the way it walks- he wobbles slightly when he walks.
As Reeves loves dogs, he would feed and hang out with Burton during downtime on the sets. By doing this, the actor thought that his bond with the dog would become stronger.
Coming to Cha Cha, which was seen in Chapter 3, apparently needed extra prompting during some of her scenes. It is also said that during filming, Cha Cha got into a scary altercation with a horse on the set, as the loud noise and general chaos overwhelmed her. Fortunately, no one got injured and Cha Cha’s trainers took care to keep her calm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6JEW_PQI58
Santana, Tai, Sam 7, Boyca and Ikar the Belgian Malinois
In Chapter 3, the manager of the Casablanca branch of the Continental Hotel, Sofia Al-Awar, played by Halle Berry enters the film as he calls in a favor from her. Berry’s character has two Belgian Malinois Shepherds by her side. These two dogs’ roles were played by five separate stunt dogs (Tai, Santana, Ikar, Sam 7 and Boyca) so that no individual dog became too stressed or fatigued. Santana and Tai were the two main cast dogs.
As per The Ringer, renowned dog and wolf trainer Andrew Simpson revealed that they trained them for five months inside a multi-level warehouse. After the dogs were trained for three months, Beery joined the crew. He said that the dogs took her very naturally and they didn’t have to force it as she understood dogs and was “quick to get down on the floor and roll around with them”.
As per the report, a lot of time and money was invested by Simpson in designing protective gear for stunt doubles as the scene required the dogs to attack and kill assailants.
Apparently, there was no CGI involved in “Parabellum”. Rob Nederhorst, visual effects supervisor, revealed on Twitter that all dog-related stunts were real, including the wall climb.
However, there was one area with CGI. The dogs were taught to attack the bad guys. To make it look real, CGI cones were placed over the stunt performer’s crotch.
Chapter 4’s real hero- Unnamed Canine
Chapter 4 continued the dog trend through Mr Nobody’s (Tracker is played by Canadian actor Shamier Anderson) Belgian Malinois. The unnamed canine, known as “faithful accomplice”, turned out to be the movie’s real star. Mr Nobody is keen on killing Wick only when the bounty is high enough. However, his adorable killer dog exhibits signs of loyalty to Wick after the latter risks his own life to save it from one of the assassins (the Marquis’s right-hand man, Chidi). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSwQ6D3c-ZQ
When Marquis’ goons try to approach Wick and stop him from reaching their final fight, Mr Nobody makes a shocking decision. He hears heart-wrenching sound of the dog’s cry as he seems to aim his rifle to shoot Wick and his gaze turn away from Wick, resulting in firing on the gang and helping John fight Marquis and his gang.
Although the canine faces constant danger, the pup survives the whole movie.
Conclusion
John Wick and his co-stars’ dogs have hit the right chord with audiences. They are especially in love with the unique bond that Wick and the dogs share. This connection has inspired several ardent fans to name their own pets after characters from the John Wick movies.
Did you give your furry companion a name inspired by John Wick’s dogs? If yes, do share your story with us!
References
- https://puphelp.com/john-wick-dogs/
- https://screenrant.com/john-wick-dogs-trivia-facts/
- https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/how-many-dogs-john-wick-ahead-chapter-4
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2911666/trivia/
- https://nypost.com/2014/10/18/meet-the-cute-john-wick-co-star-who-stole-keanu-reeves-heart/
- https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/5/21/18632650/john-wick-3-parabellum-animal-scenes-dogs-horses
- https://en.as.com/entertainment/the-fate-of-john-wicks-dog-in-chapter-4-n/
- https://screenrant.com/john-wick-4-mr-nobody-dog-star/
- https://www.cbr.com/john-wick-4-assassin-saved-by-dog/
