John Wick 4 Director Teases Best Stunt Oscars in the Making: The Academy's Support is Invaluable

Article Overview

The Oscars have historically overlooked action movies, often only recognizing them in technical categories such as Best Sound and Best Editing. Nevertheless, there is a potential for the introduction of a new category, Best Stunt Oscar, within the upcoming two years.

Chad Stahelski, the director behind John Wick, is a strong proponent for the introduction of a Best Stunt Oscar. He firmly believes that the dedicated stunt teams should be acknowledged for their invaluable contributions to the world of cinema. The establishment of this award category could potentially result in individual stunts receiving recognition instead of solely focusing on the entire film. Consequently, this would open up the possibility of multiple nominations and potential accolades for stunt teams, particularly in projects like John Wick: Chapter 4.

John Wick director Chad Stahelski, who has previously expressed his desire for a Best Stunts Oscar category, provides an encouraging update on its potential creation. Stahelski, a renowned stuntman, stunt coordinator, and second unit director, had collaborated with Keanu Reeves on The Matrix trilogy before directing the John Wick franchise. Throughout his career, he has contributed his skills to various projects and worked with esteemed filmmakers such as Zack Snyder, Sylvester Stallone, and John Carpenter.

In an exclusive interview with Our website regarding John Wick: Chapter 4's chances at the Oscars, Stahelski discusses the ongoing struggle for the action genre to receive recognition at the awards ceremony. While humorously noting that acclaimed action films like Bullitt are only nominated for Best Sound and Best Editing, the director shares his insights on the potential development of a Best Stunt Oscar. He believes it could happen within the next two years and explains why it hasn't been established yet. Read Stahelski's explanation below.

A Best Stunt Oscar Is Long Overdue

It's quite amusing when a movie with exceptional action from the past century is nominated for Best Sound or Best Editing. However, there appears to be a shift in this trend as the Academy has been remarkably supportive in recent times, pushing for progress. I firmly believe that within two years, there will be an Academy Award specifically dedicated to recognizing outstanding stunts. The focus now lies in determining the logistics rather than questioning the purpose, as everyone agrees on the importance of such an award.

Stahelski expressed his desire for the creation of a Best Stunt Oscar. He believed that stunt teams in movies were an important department that deserved recognition. The John Wick franchise has played a significant role in bringing practical action movies to the forefront of audience preferences. The original co-director, David Leitch, has gone on to direct his own movies using a similar filmmaking approach and has produced several films through his production company, 87North Productions.

Furthermore, YouTube's Corridor Crew and other groups have gained popularity for their detailed analyses of iconic movie and television stunts, featuring the performers and coordinators involved. It is disappointing that a Best Stunt Oscar has not been established. However, determining who should be awarded seems to be the main obstacle, similar to categories like Best Original Score or Best Original Song. A Best Stunt award could be immediately presented to the coordinator responsible for the stunt.

If the Academy considered recognizing individual stunts rather than evaluating movies as a whole, films like John Wick: Chapter 4, which have extensive stunt teams, may receive multiple nominations within the same category. This would allow multiple performers from these projects to be eligible for awards. While some may argue that this approach aims to appeal to public interest, similar to the Oscars Fan Favorite award, others view it as a proper recognition of the hard work performed by these teams, similar to the improved representation of the horror genre in recent years. Lionsgate has nominated John Wick: Chapter 4 for various prestigious categories at the 2024 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design.

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of action movies, I am thrilled by the news that the Academy is considering introducing a Best Stunt Oscar. This is a long-overdue recognition for the incredible work that stunt teams do in bringing our favorite action movies to life.

The John Wick franchise is a prime example of the amazing stunts that can be achieved when filmmakers are willing to push the boundaries. The films are full of breathtaking action sequences that are both thrilling and awe-inspiring. The stunt team behind the John Wick movies deserves immense credit for their work, and I am glad that they are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

I believe that the introduction of a Best Stunt Oscar will help to raise the profile of stunt work and encourage more people to pursue careers in the field. It will also help to ensure that stunt teams are given the resources they need to create safe and spectacular stunts.

I urge the Academy to move forward with the creation of a Best Stunt Oscar. It is an important step in recognizing the contributions of stunt teams to the world of cinema.