Even though John Wick 4 features stunning global locations, Chad Stahelski considered iconic monuments like Napoleon’s Tomb and Notre-Dame for the film’s backdrop.

John Wick 4 was one of the most successful flicks of 2023, with Keanu Reeves returning as the famous hitman to defeat the High Table.

It was praised for its crowd-pleasing screenplay and the amazing performance by the lead star. With the success of John Wick: Chapter 4, the franchise has crossed the $1B mark in worldwide box office revenue.

A still from John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Among the four films in the franchise, Chapter 4 is the highest-grossing, having earned $425.3 million and still counting. The film features some of the best locations in the world. But the more interesting thing about the film is those monuments that have almost been a part of it.

Chad Stahelski Had These Two Historic Wonders in Mind for Keanu Reeves Strarrer John Wick 4

In a recent interview with Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz, Chad Stahelski revealed that there were two specific locations he had in mind for the 4th installment of John Wick. 

Keanu Reeves and the Director Chad Stahelski

When Horowitz asked the action-thriller director, “Is there a location that alluded you? I mean you cover a bunch of the iconic spots in this one?” Stahelski said:

“I think I really wanted the Pantheon, I really wanted like Napoleon’s Tomb and all of that and I really wanted Notre-Dame. I really wanted it, Saint-Eustache turned out to be fantastic great gothic church but it was originally returned to be Notre-Dame but it was still under construction and I said that was cool but they didn’t, they were biting, ‘I said, I’m absolutely fine.’”

The 55-year-old director wanted to shoot at Napoleon’s Tomb and Notre-Dame but his plans were scrapped when he didn’t get the permission to do so.

Napoleon’s Tomb and Notre-Dame

Then he chose to shoot in St. Eustache in Paris, France. It is located next to Les Halles, which has a richly decorated interior. The church is a grand Gothic architectural masterpiece with early French Renaissance and Romanesque artistic elements. This location was used when John Wick (Keanu Reeves) meets Caine in an unnamed gothic church in the film.

If talked about Napoleon’s Tomb, it is located at Les Invalides in Paris, specifically built to house the mortal remains of Napoleon Bonaparte. Then, there comes Notre-Dame, which is a medieval Catholic cathedral located on the eastern end of Île de la Cité in Paris, France.

John Wick 4 Has Global Shooting Locations That Elevated Film’s Aesthetic

Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves on the set of John Wick: Chapter 4 in Paris

The John Wick movies have always had a great aesthetic to them. But the locations that are featured in John Wick 4 literally stood out from its predecessors.

The most intriguing thing about the film is its shooting locations. It boasts some stunning locations from Berlin, Osaka, and Tokyo to New York City, Jordan, and Paris. These spots added a unique aesthetic to the film’s action sequences.