The Audacious Filmmaking Behind ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

There are certain things one expects from a John Wick movie, and near the top of the list is the inclusion of dogs. Ever since the first John Wick had the audacity to open with the devastating death of the eponymous hit man’s puppy—a gift from Wick’s late wife meant to open his heart to love again—the franchise has worked overtime to reassure the audience that this is a pro-dog enterprise. But after John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum incorporated a pair of imposing Belgian Malinois in a breathtaking Morocco-set action sequence, it was always going to be a challenge to raise the bar for what dogs would be capable of doing in future films.