Stunt coordinator Scott Rogers has reportedly worked withJohn Wickdirector Chad Stahelski for decades, gaining key insight into directing from this generation’s premier action movie filmmaker. He even recently worked side-by-side with Stahelski, coordinating the stunts forJohn Wick’s highest-rated film inJohn Wick: Chapter 4. Rogers' directorial debut is now on the way and will be based on William R. Forstchen’s science fiction novelOne Second After,which explores the idea of what America would look like directly following an EMP bomb that wipes out the country’s grid.
The film benefits from strong story source material, and will more than likely include some fantastic action choreography to boot. Rogers shows promise as a director, given his close association with Stahelski and similar trajectory in film making. This budding stunt coordinator-to-director pipeline stands to be a fruitful, and rather bankable, drawing pool for studios should this film be successful at the box office. Audiences can expect a great story from a well-mentored upstart director, whose successful movie pitch was more than likely “Sci-FiJohn Wick.”
One of Chad Stahelski’s most famous resume lines is his work onThe Matrix, serving as Keanu Reeves' stunt double. Scott Rogers also worked on aMatrixfilm withThe Matrix Resurrections,serving as stunt coordinator for the film.Rogers has also coordinated stunts forUncharted,The Bourne Ultimatum, andBirds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.
While both directors have worked closely together on multiple projects, including theJohn Wickfranchise and Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, they do have distinct styles. Stahelski focuses more on hand-to-hand combat, while Rogers' work features big set pieces.Stahelski told Vulture Magazine in 2021:
Back in the day, fight scenes were secondary to car chases and horse chases and helicopter chases and motorboat chases.
He went on to say that beforeThe Matrix, which he credits as inspiration for hisJohn Wickfilms, fights were limited to Arnold Schwarzenegger"pummeling you to death with his hands."
It just so happens that while Stahelski went on to further innovate the way fight scenes are featured in film. Rogers is actually one of the guys responsible for those car chases and horse chases, notably overseeing the show-stopping horse chase fromJohn Wick 3.As Rogers toldBelow The Line News, he doesn’t do fight stuff in the John Wick world, leaving that to Stahelski. That’s not to say he isn’t capable, though. It will be fascinating to see what he can do with fights and vehicle chases along with the explosive cataclysmic events inOne Second After.
What Would Sci Fi John Wick Look Like?
In the same interview, Rogers also noted the prep work he’d adopted from Stahelski in bringing practical stunts to life. He said it makes shooting days more efficient when the appropriate amount of preparation has gone into making sure an aging Keanu Reeves doesn’t have to do too many long takes of intricate fight sequences. It’s still unknown how Rogers' affinity for practical effects will apply to the grand scale of a national blackout event, but it will be interesting nonetheless. Audiences can count on Rogers emphasizing in-camera action and effects. Speaking about audiences' craving for practical effects, Rogers said:
They don’t want to look at something and say, ‘Was that real?’ They want to know that it was there.
Despite the science-fiction genre ofOne Second After’s source material, audiences can expect a lot of camera-captured magic and a shortage of advanced-tech and visuals due to the world’s lack of electricity.
InOne Second After,the breakdown of post-EMP society is chronicled through the eyes of John Matherson (not to be confused with John Wick).The book was actually cited in a Congressional hearingdue to its scientifically-sound feasibility, given that a similar occurrence took place in real life. The book is more of a post-apocalyptic thriller than an all-out action romp, but it stands that stunt aficionado Scott Rogers would inject plenty of action into the film adaption, showing off his sole vision for stunts on the big screen. Rogers' debut film will likely be akin to something likeWill Smith’sI Am Legendmixed with 2009’sThe Road,the latter of which is based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy.
Are Stunt Performers An Untapped Filmmaker Pool?
Stunt performers-turned-directors aren’t too niche at this point in Hollywood. For example, Netflix’s increasingly successfulExtractionseries, starring Chris Hemsworth, is helmed by former stuntman Sam Hargrave and is lauded for its impressive stunt work and long action sequences. Hal Needham, at one point the highest paid stuntman in the worldaccording to IMDB, went on to directSmokey and The Bandit(1977) andHooper(1978). David Leitch co-directed the firstJohn Wickalong with Chad Stahelski, later directingDeadpool 2,Bullet Train, andThe Fall Guy, a movie all about stunt performers.
While the stuntman-to-director funnel isn’t unheard of, it benefits from a somewhat small fraternity of successful members indicating promise for newcomers. Scott Rogers is ready to enter the fold withOne Second After.His John Matherson protagonist may not beJohn Wick, but he could be something just as special.
