I just watched the first trailer for Wick Is Pain, and I’m blown away. Lionsgate dropped it today, May 1, 2025, at 1:31 PM IST through the @JohnWickMovie account on X, and let me tell you—it’s got me so hyped. They teased it with, “How the legend was made. #WickIsPain – On digital 5/9. Pre-order Tomorrow,” Now I’m counting down the days. The documentary is set to premiere at Beyond Fest on May 8 and will be available on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube starting May 9. If you’re a John Wick fan like me, this looks like something you won’t want to miss.
The trailer starts with Keanu Reeves’ voice saying, “When we say John Wick is pain, it’s kind of like a ‘fuck yeah,’” and I got chills right there. Directed by Jeffrey Doe, Wick Is Pain takes us behind the scenes of the John Wick franchise, showing the absolute chaos that went into making the first movie back in 2014. I had no idea how close it came to falling apart! They’ve got over a decade of never-before-seen footage, and it’s packed with raw moments—on-set struggles, off-set panic, the whole deal. There are interviews with Keanu, director Chad Stahelski, and producers Basil Iwanyk and David Leitch, and they’re all so real about what they went through.
One part of the trailer that really hit me was hearing how the first film almost didn’t happen because of money issues. Stahelski says, “We were panicked. This is Keanu fuckin’ Reeves. You do not wanna let him down,” and you can feel how stressed they were. Leitch adds, “I don’t know how you find six and a half million dollars by Monday,” and Iwanyk straight-up says, “I took money out of my house. We are doomed. We are completely fucked.” I couldn’t believe it when they revealed that Eva Longoria was the one who saved the day with a $6 million investment! That gamble paid off big time—the franchise has made almost $1 billion now, with John Wick: Chapter 4 alone raking in $440.2 million.
The trailer also shows how much the John Wick movies took out of everyone involved. Keanu talks about the grind, and there’s footage of him training for those insane stunts—he looks exhausted but so committed. Stahelski reflects on how it all started, saying, “We had an idea for a low-budget independent movie. Looking back now, more than ten years later, it’s hard to believe what that idea became.” Iwanyk sums it up perfectly: “We have never worked harder on any movie than we have on the John Wick series.” It makes me appreciate the films even more, knowing the blood, sweat, and tears that went into them.
This documentary isn’t just about the struggle—it’s also a celebration of what John Wick has become. That little indie movie about a hitman avenging his dog turned into a game-changer for action films, with its slick gun-fu style and crazy world-building. It even helped push for a new Oscar category for stunts, which is awesome. The timing of this doc feels spot-on, too, with Ballerina (starring Ana de Armas) coming out on June 6, John Wick: Chapter 5 starting production later this year, and more spinoffs like a Donnie Yen movie and an anime prequel in the works. Plus, the original John Wick is getting a theatrical re-release in November with a sneak peek at Ballerina—I’m already planning to be there.
People are loving how passionate Keanu is and how the doc honors the franchise’s legacy. But it also got me thinking about the cost of all that hard work. The John Wick movies are amazing, but the trailer makes it clear it wasn’t easy—physically or emotionally. I’m really curious to see how the documentary dives into that when it comes out.
Wick Is Pain feels like it’s going to be a mix of nostalgia, inspiration, and some hard truths about filmmaking. I’m already planning to pre-order it tomorrow and watch it as soon as it drops on the 9th. If you’re as obsessed with John Wick as I am—or even if you just love a good behind-the-scenes story—this looks like it’s going to be worth your time. What do you think—are you as excited as I am?
