John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellumstunt performer Anis Cheurfa reveals new details about the dog stunt training for the film, recalling just how long a process it was. Released in 2019 and directed by Chad Stahelski, the third installment in theJohn Wickfranchisesees Keanu Reeves return as the titular assassin, this time on the run as a major bounty is placed on his head. The film features a number of jaw-dropping action sequences, including a shootout in Morocco involving Halle Berry’s Sofia, who has two highly-trained dogs that she uses to attack enemies.
During a recent appearance onCorridor Crew’s “Stuntmen React” YouTube series, Cheurfa recalls his experience onJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumas a stuntman, in particular the training that went into preparing Sofia’s dogs for the shoot. According to the stuntman,the actors and stunt performers trained with the dogs for seven months before shooting even began, and there were strict rules regarding how to interact with the animals on set.
Though most of the shoot went flawlessly,Cheurfa does recall one incident in which one of the dogs bit a stunt performer’s hand instead of going for the crotch, where their mark was. Check out some of Cheurfa’s comments or watch the video (relevant section begins at 0:59) below:
“They’re highly trained. They’re like military dogs. So after they do things like that they end up going with the military on missions.
“So they introduced us to these dogs like a year prior to shooting this film. So we trained with them for like a few months so they were familiar with us by the time we shot this. But still, like, there’s no petting. When you’re on set, you cannot interact with these dogs. They’re, like, really professional. We trained with them for at least seven months prior to going to Morocco with them. And they were puppies. By the time we shot that they were almost full-grown dogs.
“It takes a while. You have to get them used to the noise and the loudness, you know, because the dogs get freaked out.”
Sofia’s dogs inJohn Wick 3are Belgian Malinois, a breed widely used as military dogs.
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Parabellum Pushed The Franchise Forward
The movies in theJohn Wickfranchise continue to push boundaries in the action franchise, elevating shootouts, fist fights, and car chases beyond what audiences have previously seen. The dog action inParabellumis a perfect example of this, and is undoubtedly part of why the film achieved such success.John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumcurrently has an 89% onRotten Tomatoesfrom critics and an 86% from audiences, and the movie was also a box office success.
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Sofia’s dogs aren’t treated as an afterthought inParabellum’s Morocco action sequence, and the entire shootout was evidently designed around their involvement. Dogs have played an important role in the franchise in almost all installments, and it’s the death of Wick’s puppy in the first movie that sets off the entire saga.Parabellum, however, marks the first time in the franchise that dogs are used essentially as weapons, and this element returned in theacclaimedJohn Wick: Chapter 4, with Tracker (Shamier Anderson) using his dog during select combat sequences.
Our Take On John Wick 3’s Dog Action Sequence
Future Sequels Should Feature More Dog Action
It’s unclear if there will be aJohn Wick 5, butParabellum’s Morocco shootout remains the pinnacle of how dogs can be incorporated into a fight scene to elevate it. Sofia hasn’t returned to the franchise since the third installment, but she certainly seems like a character worthy of further exploration, and her dogs could be a part of that.
The use of dogs inParabellumis emblematic of the boundary-pushing that the franchise has become known for, andit would be a major challenge to top how they were used in the Morocco sequence. If dogs get another standout sequence in the franchise afterJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, it’s evidently something that will take a great deal of preparation and training to successfully pull off.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Cast
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is the third film in the John Wick franchise. After having taken down a High Table crime lord in the second movie, John has a bounty placed on him and is now excommunicated from the guild. With a $14 million price tag on his head and danger at every turn, John will fight his way worldwide to stay alive and find a way out of the situation, which is spiraling out of control.
