The real life dog behind Daisy
As the first “John Wick” film hit theaters, everyone wanted to know more about the movies adorable (and doomed) beagle puppy. According to a feature in USA Today, a lot of thought went into choosing the perfect professional pup.
As co-directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski recalled, they sought out the cutest possible puppy to maximize the emotional impact of its murder. In conversation with USA Today, Leitch said, “John Wick started living life with this dog. And immediately that chance of being the person his wife wanted him to be was ripped from him. After that, he becomes the monster he was before, the anti-hero we like to watch in these kinds of movies. We set up the empathy for John Wick by going all out.”
As Animal Actors International dog trainer Kim Krafsky told USA Today, Andy, the male beagle pup who eventually won the role, had a “rock star” quality: “He melts you with his eyes. He also has the right temperament. He and Keanu hit it off right away. But, then again, who wouldnt love this puppy?”
John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad reveals that the movies directors had to fight with producers over the decision to kill Wicks beloved dog.
Killing John Wicks dog led to a major behind-the-scenes fight with producers, the movie’s screenwriter reveals. Released in 2014, the super-violent John Wick proved to be something of a comeback film for star Keanu Reeves, who has by now played the seemingly invincible assassin Wick in two sequels with a third set to arrive.
Indeed, the John Wick universe has now gotten so large, that the original movie with its canine death motivation factor now seems almost quaint. The enlargement of the franchise has of course allowed director Stahelski (Leitch exited after the first movie) to create ever-more-elaborate action set pieces, which is a good thing, but it’s also caused the story to stray from its relatively modest origins in a way that has not been altogether positive. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum indeed seemed to tease an even greater escalation in the fourth film, but it’s fair to ask how far the somewhat thin John Wick premise can be actually be stretched before it snaps.
As it turns out, the death of John Wick’s dog was a move producers originally balked at, leading to a big behind-the-scenes fight that thankfully was ultimately won by Stahelski and Leitch. As screenwriter Derek Kolstad said in a recent interview with ComicBook.com:
Kolstad says producers were finally convinced that killing the dog was a good move when they saw test audiences react to the movie. “As soon as the dog died, and seeing their reaction and then seeing the siege in the house, we were like, yep, we were right,” the writer explained. Indeed, the little move that gave John Wick a soul proved to be a great idea, as the original movie went on to be a hit that spawned a pair of sequels with a third ready to go into production, not to mention the TV show The Continental, which focuses on the mysterious assassins’ hotel from the movie.
What it was like to work with Andy on set
In a different feature in the New York Post, Krafsky opened up more about Andy and the story behind this precious pups big film role. First off, the breed was important; according to Krafsky, “Theres this thing about them, theyre just cute. Theyre not overly large or small, theyre just a cuddly breed with those big sad eyes. The dog had to be outgoing, enjoy being around people and, of course, be beautiful. All of those things have to be wrapped up in to one animal.”
Unsurprisingly, Andy, who was particularly friendly, was extremely popular on set. Not only did he bond with Reeves right away, he made Omer Barnea, the actor who had to “kill” Andy, feel super guilty. As Krafsky remembered, “He felt horrible. Every time the director yelled cut, he just picked up the dog and cuddled him.”
According to the feature, after filming ended — and Andy got the chance to walk a few red carpets with Reeves — Andy returned to the Animal Actors International farm in New Jersey, awaiting his next big role.
Of course, going forward, John Wick has much better luck with dogs. By the time “John Wick: Chapter 2” kicks off, John is accompanied by a faithful and formidable pit bull, and dogs play a huge role in “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum,” even participating in some of the films most unforgettable fights. The “Wick” team has even marked holidays like National Puppy Day with cheeky re-cuts of the film that revise them to be about a simple man and his dogs.
As the “John Wick” franchise continues to unfold and become increasingly fleshed out, the gruesome death of Daisy in the first movie still looms large. Sure, as the saga has gone on, her demise has become less and less of a focal point, but at the end of the day, its impossible to deny how important it was in shaping the entire story. Even if youve never seen a “John Wick” movie, if nothing else, you know that the titular character is a man enraged over the murder of his dog. Therefore, its surprising to learn that Daisys demise couldve wound up on the cutting room floor.
In a 2014 interview with the Austin Chronicle, “John Wick” co-director David Leitch revealed that some of the minds behind the film werent so keen on Daisy being killed off. “Its risky. You kill the dog, you alienate the audience, and the movies done,” he said, recalling that executives at the movies production company, Thunder Road, advised against it. Nevertheless, they went ahead with the plot point anyway. “Your lead actor shouldnt have a beard and dont kill the dog. “We go, Lets give the lead actor a beard, and lets kill the dog,” Leitch concluded.
John will come for you. Viggo tells his son about John Wick
If youre into Keanu Reeves and over-the-top action sequences, no doubt youre a fan of the John Wick franchise. But if youre also a fan of dogs, the films can present somewhat of a predicament. After all, the oversimplified premise is that John is a retired hitman who is completely out of the game until a Russian mobsters son kills a puppy left to John by his recently deceased wife. Article continues below advertisement
The whole scene is totally brutal and traumatizing, to the point where any other time a dog is on-screen in the following sequels, you cringe. And, in one particular scene of John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum it seemed certain the four-legged body count was about to go up again.