Keanu Reeves and Eddie Van Halen almost collaborated on the same soundtrack: “We would love it”
John Wick is undoubtedly one of the most beloved action franchises in recent history, or possibly ever. It’s not just Keanu Reeves or the deathless hitman-coming-out-of-retirement-for-revenge storyline that has garnered a legion of fans. No. It’s also largely down to its insanely well-choreographed action scenes. But what is a well-choreographed action scene without an amazing soundtrack? Well, probably rather stilted and boring. Luckily, Wick has the music on his side, too.
Written and composed by Tyler Bates, who has also composed for the likes of 300, Dawn of the Dead, and the first two Halloween remakes, alongside Joel J Richard, the soundtrack has been praised just as much as the film. Many lauded it for its fresh and eclectic nods to classic rock and modern techno, instead of the usual Hans Zimmer-type epic beats that the film world is used to. It adds to the propulsive energy of the entire film and lets the audience know just how cool and dangerous John Wick is.
However, the soundtrack could well have been even cooler if only two people who were courted for a feature had said yes. The first was obviously the lead Keanu Reeves, who happens to be a professional musician in a band called Dogstar, alongside being a career movie star. The second? Eddie Van Halen.
“At one point, we almost had Eddie Van Halen play on the John Wick theme, toward the end of his life,” Bates told ScreenRant, gushing, “He came over to my place. It was really sweet of him to come over, and he hung out for a while.”
However, the iconic musician’s health had been deteriorating for years, and by the 2010s, it was in serious decline, with Bates stating it was clear he was “not in the mindset that he really wanted to do anything”. Even though the composer assured him it was totally at his discretion, the collaboration never happened, but the two stayed in contact until Eddie’s death in 2020.
Then there’s Reeves, who, as the star of the entire franchise, you would presume would be delighted to feature on the soundtrack. But, ever the gentleman, he politely declined, simply stating, “Tyler, come on, man. You’ve got to do it”. This wasn’t a jibe at Bates by any means; Reeves was just worried that even if they kept it under wraps, someone would find out and he’d get all the credit.
So while it’s sad that we will never get to hear John Wick on the bass of his own film, it was for a very good reason.
The soundtrack is still one of the best parts of the film, off the back of Bates and Richard’s sheer talent. Plus, the latest spin-off instalment of the franchise, Ballerina, saw the composer collaborate with the alt-metal powerhouse Evanescence, so all was never lost. And who knows, who might be enlisted to play for the next film in the franchise?
