Summary
- John Wick 4
features stunning filming locations around the world, including Europe, Japan, and the Middle East, adding a unique aesthetic to the film’s action sequences. - Each filming location enhances the visual storytelling and amplifies the drama and intensity of the film’s key scenes, showcasing the grandeur of landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Osaka Continental in Berlin.
- The filming locations in
John Wick 4
not only provide a feast for the eyes, but also play a crucial role in expanding the lore and setting of the
John Wick
universe, contributing to the immersive experience of the film.
John Wick: Chapter 4 took the action to the next level in locations around the world, and rather than relying on Hollywood sets, the John Wick 4 filming locations span from Europe and Japan through to the Middle East. In the movie, the elite assassin John Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) war on the High Table has gone global, unleashing a grueling onslaught of death and destruction across multiple continents. Filming, which took place in June 2021, featured key scenes shot at some of the most well-known landmarks in the world, in New York City, Berlin, Paris, and Jordan.
The John Wick movies have always had a certain aesthetic to them, but the locations in John Wick 4 stood out from its predecessors. As the notorious hitman faced greater challenges trying to outrun rival assassins and seek revenge on his superiors, each new action sequence and dramatic moment was amplified by the uniqueness of its environment. From the majestic and colorful Osaka Continental and the pulsing Kraftwerk club in Berlin to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the John Wick 4 filming locations provided a feast for the eyes and helped the film’s visual storytelling.
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18 Wadi Rum, Jordan
John Wick 4’s Horseback Scenes Were Filmed On-Location In The Middle East
In one of the film’s key opening scenes, John Wick races across the desert on horseback in Wadi Rum, Jordan to track down one of the highest-ranking members of the High Table – The Elder. Though it seems like the moment would include a tense standoff, it’s over in seconds, highlighting John’s lethal efficiency. Though the film doesn’t spend nearly as much time in this location as John Wick 3, it successfully concludes this storyline.
This location has been used for
Dune
and
Star Wars
as well.
The wide-open desert landscape provides an interesting backdrop to this conversation between John and The Elder before John brutally assassinates him. To open the movie with this sequence and in this location is a brilliant move by the filmmakers. It kicks off the story by showing that John will go to the ends of the earth to track down the people who have wronged him. It speaks to the unending determination of the character.
17 Palais Garnier, Paris, France
The Grand Foyer That Caine Visited In John Wick 4 Is Real
The impressive Grand Foyer that Caine visits in John Wick: Chapter 4, with a ceiling painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry, looks fit for a king, and rightly so since it was filmed at the Palais Garnier. The Marquis gives Caine a special assignment he can’t refuse because of the rules of the High Table, and the environment projects the strength and elegance of the Marquis.
The regal setting feels like a member of royalty summoning one of their subjects to them to do their bidding.
In such a lavish and impressive setting, the High Table is clearly in control, while at the same time illustrating that its strength is all for show and not substantiated with the Marquis at its head. Even so, the regal setting feels like a member of royalty summoning one of their subjects to them to do their bidding. Fittingly, the scene ends with Caine being forced to literally bend the knee to the Marquis and the table in agreeing to kill John.
16 Palace Of Versailles, Paris, France
The Grand Stable Of The Marquis Is In One Of France’s Most Luxurious Estates
While the first horses seen in John Wick 4 are part of an exciting chase in the desert, the next is in the Grand Stable of the Marquis, filmed at the Palace of Versailles in France. Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson) finds the Marquis there and, like Caine, learns how brutal the acting head of the High Table can be. As the horses trot elegantly around the Marquis, it’s clear that he is a man of synchronized precision, and will handle John Wick the same way.
This is a noticeable juxtaposition from the Marquis’ meeting with Caine in the elegance of the palace. It shows the difference in how he views Caine and Mr. Nobody. For Caine, he was a man known to have worked for the High Table in the past, who knew to obey the rules, and who knew the consequences, so he was able to order him around like a subject. Mr. Nobody is someone he is familiar with and unpredictable. Therefore, the Marquis met him in the stables and treated him like an animal who needed to be trained on how to obey.
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15 Monbijou Bridge, Berlin
The Bridge Mr. Nobody Crosses In Berlin Crosses The Spree Canal
Mr. Nobody starts tracking John Wick to the Ruska Roma family headquarters and then later to Club Himmel und Hölle and one the wy, he crosses the Monbijou Bridge. This John Wick 4 filming location is a relatively famous landmark located in Berlin, Germany. It stretches over part of the Spree Canal in the Mitte district and was named for the Monbijou Castle, which was nearby when it was erected in the 18th century. It’s been reconstructed at various points in the 20th and 21st centuries to preserve its integrity and includes a statue of Emperor Friedrich III.
The gothic feel of the location is fitting for John making a connection to his past. The crossing of the bridge can also be seen as symbolic of John crossing over to this aspect of this history that he had been disconnected from for a long time but was never fully separated from.
14 Internationales Congress Centrum, Berlin
John Wick’s 4 Osaka Continental Scenes Were Filmed In Germany
One of the most stunning and provocative locations in John Wick: Chapter 4 is the Osaka Continental, where John Wick hopes to seek refuge. The scenes involving this Continental weren’t filmed in Tokyo at all but in Berlin. The picturesque scene of John with the cherry blossoms was shot on the roof of the top of the Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin. Its beautiful architecture perfectly highlights the different ways that each Continental location expands the lore of the John Wick universe.
The blending of the cherry blossoms and the neon signs that surround the rooftop invoke the familiar aesthetic of the John Wick movies and especially The Continental hotels in this universe. These establishments seem to combine elements of traditional styles within a modern world. It is impressive that the movie is able to build this particular rooftop set from scratch and make it feel like an organic part of the hotel.
13 Krematorium Baumschulenweg, Berlin
The Office Of The Marquis Set In John Wick 4 Is A German Funeral Facility
The office of the Marquis is one of the most unusual John Wick 4 filming locations. When the Marquis summons Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (Lance Reddick) to his office, the scene was shot at Krematorium Baumschulenweg funeral facility. It’s a utilitarian, industrial-looking environment that conveys the capacity of the High Table’s brutality. It’s here that Charon, a fan-favorite character and loyal peer of Winston’s, must pay the price for his friend’s subversive transgressions at the New York Continental.
In the case of Winston, with his perceived failure, the facility serves as an unambiguous threat.
Once again, the Marquis seems to be using a location to speak directly to another character about how he perceives them. In the case of Winston, with his perceived failure, the facility serves as an unambiguous threat. However, it is also a perfect example of how the Marquis was all flash and threats without much to back it up with.
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12 Kraftwerk, Berlin
The Club Himmel Und Hölle Is Filmed In A Real Berlin Venue
When John Wick goes to find notorious crime lord Killa (Scott Adkins) at his club Himmel und Hölle, Kraftwerk stands in for the gangster’s headquarters. The walls of water that he and John fight through were created on huge sets that unfortunately don’t exist at Kraftwerk in real life. Of all the club fight sequences in the John Wick films, this particular one stands out because of the dynamism of the environment, with the flowing water perfectly complementing the fluidity of John and Killa’s combat moves.
These types of sequences always offer some of the most spell-binding moments in the John Wick movies, with the colorful style and crowded locations giving a surreal feel to these epic showdowns, especially as people continue to dance around them as John and his adversaries fight with guns and axes.
11 Louvre – Denon Wing, Mollien Room, Paris
The Marquis Meets Winston In One Of The World’s Most Famous Galleries
When Winston discovers a loophole in the rules that will help John Wick bring down the Marquis, he presents his findings to the Marquis in the Mollien Room of the Denon Wing of the Louvre. One of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre boasts numerous gallery rooms, and it’s a fitting place for a meeting of the minds. One of the Red Rooms, with its impressive collection of masterpieces, including the famous Liberty Leading the People painting by Eugène Delacroix, makes even the Marquis look small by comparison.
The scene is a great way of showing the Marquis’s ego, taking over the immense room all to himself to admire the paintings. However, there is also the hint that he is ignorant of what the paintings really mean as Winston refers to Liberty Leading the People as “a warning of the cost of tyranny,” suggesting that the Marquis should take heed of such a lesson.
10 Arc De Triomphe, Paris
John Wick 4’s Massive Car Fight Scene Was Filmed At An Iconic French Landmark
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most recognizable John Wick 4 filming locations, and its majestic silhouette is the backdrop to one of the film’s most daring action sequences — though most of it was filmed at the non-functioning airport in Tegel, Berlin. John Wick fights for his life while trying to navigate the Arc’s chaotic roundabout, with cars and bullets flying at top speeds. Not only is it one of the most unique action scenes in a film boasting several, but it’s one of the most impressively coordinated movie car stunts in recent memory.
The Arc de Triomphe was also used in an action sequence in
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
.
While the John Wick movies are certainly intense action spectacles, it is action scenes like this that show the fun sense of humor the film can have while still being thrilling. The idea of a car chase taking place in a roundabout sounds like a parody concept, but it is pulled off expertly in this scene while also serving as a fun metaphor for the endless cycle of violence that John cannot seem to escape from.
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9 The National Art Center, Tokyo
The Osaka Continental Exterior Shots Were Partially Filmed On Set
While the interior and the rooftop portions of the Osaka Continental were filmed in Berlin, the external shots used the National Art Center in Tokyo, Japan. The futuristic-looking building conveys the beauty, efficiency, and grace of its management team composed of Manager Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) as well as his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama). The hotel garden, with its cherry blossom trees, was a set constructed on a separate studio lot.
This is another excellent example of the seamless blending of real locations with something the production has created itself. The rooftop scenes and the interior of the building match the aesthetic suggested by this exterior show. It is also a great way of highlighting the differences between Continentals, as audiences are familiar with the exterior location of the New York Continental and see how much Osaka’s establishment sets itself apart.
8 Sacred Heart Church, Paris
John Wick’s Duel With The Marquis Took Place In The Basilica Of Sacré Coeur De Montmartre
The Sacred Heart Church, or Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre that John Wick must reach to duel the Marquis, was completed in 1914. The stunning landmark is one of Paris’s most popular attractions for tourists and theologians alike. It’s symbolic of the reason John has cultivated such a determined focus on revenge – the love he has for his late wife. Indeed, much of the movie goes back to reminding the viewers that, although it was John’s puppy that was murdered, it was the grief over his wife that fueled his rage.
To have this climactic duel take place here is a sign of the movie series’ combination of love and violence. Caine himself is taking part in the duel out of love for his daughter and John sacrifices himself to allow Caine to save his daughter. After killing the Marquis, John Wick’s final line is “Helen,” showing that he has kept his wife in his heart through it all.
7 Louis-Vuitton Foundation
The Marquis Headquarters Location Is Owned By The Fashion Brand
Marquis Vicent de Gramont has his Paris headquarters at the Louis-Vuitton Foundation. This art museum is a cultural mega-center that’s sponsored by the owner of the popular fashion brand of the same name. It was designed by noted American architect Frank Gehry and is a building in the Deconstructivist style that perfectly represents the twisted nature of De Gramont’s soul.
It is yet another look inside the supposed elevated and cultured status of the Marquis that still feels vacant. Throughout the movie, the Marquis seems as though he is attempting to intimidate and impress everyone who the various locations he chooses for his meetings. However, in the end, the grandness of it all only works to make him seem smaller in comparison, hinting at his overconfidence and arrogance that leads to his demise in the end.
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6 Porte Des Lilas
The Bowery King’s Underground Meeting Took Place In A Real Disused Subway Station
John Wick and the Bowery King conduct a special meeting in the subway at Porte des Lilas. Despite everything the Bowery King has been through for John, he proves his loyalty to the last by opening his Paris branch “La resistance.” It was closed in 1939, but the Porte des Lilas remains reserved for film productions like John Wick: Chapter 4.
The Bowery King is a character who has always operated in the underbelly of the world, pulling strings from underneath, so this location feels quite expected for him. However, it is a location that feels fitting to all three of the characters in this scene — the Bowery King, Winston, and John. As they make their way to the final showdown, they are all sharing in this moment of defying those in power and living underground until they can make their move.
This location has been used in movies like
Ronin
and
Amélie
.
5 Rue Foyatier Street, Paris, France
John Wick Battles It Out On An Iconic Paris Staircase
One of the most exciting and tense action sequences occurs in the Rue Foyatier street in Montmartre, where John Wick and Caine must battle assassins on all sides as they mount a flight of stairs. The sequence is as comical as it is thrilling, as John gets nearly to the top only to be knocked back down in a race against the clock to meet the Marquis for a duel at dawn.
The amount of stairs it takes John to get to the top is a testament to his dedication and unwavering commitment to his goals. This John Wick 4 filming location is a well-known landmark for tourists, though amazingly, the action franchise is the most noteworthy movie so far to make use of it. Like the Arc de Triomphe set piece earlier in the film, it is hard not to find the humor in the action sequence with how much John goes through to reach the top.
4 Saint-Eustache, Paris, France
The Real Church Where John Wick Meets Caine Was Constructed In 1532
The unnamed gothic church where John Wick meets Caine is St. Eastache in Paris, France. Found in the Les Halles district, it’s a colossal monument that was constructed in 1532 and is known for its prodigious dimensions and intricate stone craftsmanship. Unique camera angles make the most of the space to make it seem even bigger than it already is, as an example of the exaggerated aesthetic and appeal of the franchise.
Despite knowing they will soon face each other in a duel, John and Caine share an honest moment when Caine asks John why he speaks to his wife if he doesn’t believe there is an afterlife, to which John responds, ”
Maybe I’m wrong
.”
This is another key scene in continuing to establish the connection John still has for his wife and the tragedy of his character. Despite knowing they will soon face each other in a duel, John and Caine share an honest moment when Caine asks John why he speaks to his wife if he doesn’t believe there is an afterlife, to which John responds, “Maybe I’m wrong.” This sets up John Wick’s final moments before his death when he seems to speak to his wife with his last breath.
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3 Trocadéro Square, Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
The Negotiation WIth The High Table Harbinger Took Place In A Tourist Hot Spot
John Wick and the Marquis negotiate the rules of their duel in a meeting moderated by the High Table’s Harbinger (Clancy Brown). The scene was shot at the famous Trocadéro Square which overlooks the Eiffel Tower and adds gravitas to their conversation. It’s a testament to the power and reach of the High Table that so important a conversation can occur in one of the most well-trafficked public destinations in the world.
John and the Marquis choose the time, location, and weapons for their duel. The fact that the sequence overlooks the Eiffel Tower and the city of Paris sets the chilling scene as if John is looking out over the final battlefield of his journey. Indeed, he will have to fight his way across this city in order to reach his destination and bring this story to a close.
2 Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, New York
Charon’s Grave Site Is In A Modern Roosevelt Island Park
When John Wick visits Winston at Charon’s grave site, the old friends reunite at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, located on Roosevelt Island. Built in 2012, the monument features beautiful views of the iconic New York skyline. It’s a fitting resting place for one of the most loyal allies John ever had, and the distance of this location from the carnage and chaos of the city in the distance is thematically appropriate for the scene.
While Winston has always subtly rooted for John in the past, he has also looked out for himself and ensured he did not anger the High Table too much.
The notable memorial is also a testament to how much Winston cared for Charon. While Winston has always subtly rooted for John in the past, he has also looked out for himself and ensured he did not anger the High Table too much. With the death of Charon, Winston makes it clear in this scene what he is after now — revenge.
1 Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin
Killa’s Nightclub Exterior Shots Weren’t Filmed At Kraftwerk
While Killa’s nightclub in John Wick: Chapter 4 was filmed at Berlin’s iconic Kraftwerk, the exterior shot of the club was the Alte Nationalgalerie also known as Old National Gallery found on Museum Island in Berlin. With its impressive Neoclassical architecture and double outer staircase, it looks like the sort of grandiose establishment that Killa would operate out of to project power and opulence. The Old National Gallery houses a superb collection of paintings and sculptures from the 19th century.
The massive exterior location is necessary to sell the grand exterior of the nightclub itself. It is a fun, easy sign of the big personality and imposing size of Killa himself. Though his screen time is relatively short, he makes for one of the most entertaining and formidable villains John Wick faces in these movies.
John Wick: Chapter 4
Following the events of Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John Wick Chapter 4 will see the titular character battle against some of his most dangerous foes yet. With a bounty on his head that continues to skyrocket, John decides to take the fight to the High Table on a global scale and battles across areas like Osaka and Paris to wipe out some of the strongest players in the underworld.
- Release Date
- March 24, 2023
- Director
- Chad Stahelski
- Cast
- Hiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier Anderson
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Writers
- Shay Hatten , Michael Finch
