After years of calls for an award for Best Stunts at theOscars, it seems that a resolution may be in sight.John WickdirectorChad Stahelskihas been in talks with the Academy to recognize the importance of stuntwork to the movie business. In an interview withComicBookMovieforJohn Wick 4’s Blu-Ray release, Stahelski revealed that he has been in discussions regarding the issue with the Academy for several months now, and believes that a Best Stunts Oscar could be awarded as early as next year’s ceremony — and if not, at least some time in the next three or four years.
One stumbling block, however, is who would actually receive such an award, due to the many hands needed to create a successful stunt. As Stahelski rhetorically asks, “Does the stunt coordinator get it? The guy doing the gag get it? The martial arts choreographer? The fight choreography? The stunt double? The second unit director? The editor? Who gets the award?” Despite this, Stahelski clearly believes that success is inevitable, saying “There is no one that we’ve met so far that thinks antagonistically to this like everybody on both sides wants this to happen. They want stunts at the Oscars. It’s going to happen.” The issue has been important to Stahelski for some time; in a2020 Collider interviewwith Stahelski andWickco-directorDavid Leitch, he stated “I’m all for stunts, for someone to get an Oscar. I think we’re a big part of it, if not one of the biggest parts, especially in the visuals in some of the biggest movies out there.”
Stahelski began his career as a stuntman; a friend ofBrandon Lee, Stahelski was Lee’s stunt double onThe Crow, the production on whichLee was killed in a fatal on-set accident. He doubled forKeanu ReevesonThe Matrixand became a stunt coordinator on the film’s sequels. After serving as a sought-after stunt coordinator on films like300,Speed Racer, andThe Expendables, he made his directorial debut, co-directing with Leitch, on 2014’sJohn Wick; he directed the three subsequent sequels solo, including this year’s acclaimedJohn Wick 4. He is next slated to directMichael B. Jordanin the Amazon adaptation ofTom Clancy’s thriller novelRainbow Six.
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With the increasing prevalence of digital effects in action movies, great stuntwork still draws attention to a film. TheMission: Impossibleseries is famous for starTom Cruise’s insistence on performing an increasingly death-defying series of stunts himself; this year’s installment,Dead Reckoning Part 1, promises a gravity-defying motorcycle jump off a cliff and aharrowing fight scene atop a speeding steam train. One awards show does recognize the importance of stunts; the Screen Actors Guild Awards offers two awards forBest Stunt Ensemble, with one for movies, and one for television.
Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and listen to Stahelski talk about the stunts ofJohn Wick 4with Collider below.
