John Wick almost had an alternate ending where the puppy lived, but Keanu Reeves “stood up” for the original vision

If there’s one thing everyone knows about John Wick, it’s that he was really upset when the bad guys killed his dog. 

As it turns out, that almost didn’t happen. An alternate ending of the film could’ve showed the innocent pup survived, but Keanu Reeves himself was opposed to the idea. 

“We were told, ‘It’s bad luck.’ ‘It’s bad juju.’ ‘It’s Old Yeller, you can’t do this!’ ‘No one will want to see this on screen; you’re going to alienate the audience,'” co-director David Leitch told Business Insider of the decision to kill the dog. “And I’m like, ‘We’re going to execute people at close range; killing the dog is one thing, but what about the brutal massacre of all these human beings? Are they going to be able to accept that?'” 

After shooting the home invasion scene, where the puppy is killed off-screen, the idea to reveal the dog survived came into play. “For the next couple of weeks it was suggested that we shoot an alternative ending revealing that the puppy actually isn’t dead,” added co-director Chad Stahelski. “But Keanu stood up for us. And Basil [Iwanyk, producer] stood up to the investors, and eventually, they just felt, ‘Fuck it, let’s see what these guys can do.'”

As sad as it is to see an innocent pup go so cruelly, the movie really would’ve lacked its punch without the moment. After all, the dog is a gift from John Wick’s late wife, and the pet’s death is what triggers his revenge rampage. 

Next up in the John Wick franchise is Ballerina, which arrives June 6, 2025, and features a cameo from Wick himself. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates for everything else that’s in store.