It’s hard to believe, but it’s been fifteen years since Warner Bros. released directorFrancis Lawrence’sDC Comics adaptation,Constantine, starringKeanu Reevesas an occult detective. When the film first came out in February, 2005, the reviews were mixed. At the time, Reeves had only finishedThe Matrixtrilogy two years earlier, the MCU hadn’t yet launched,Christopher Nolan’sBatman Beginswas months from being released, and the comic book movie genre wasn’t something Hollywood took very seriously.
It was a different era of moviemaking.
Over time,Constantine’spopularity grew. Francis Lawrence had told me when he signed autographs it was oftenConstantinerelated. When I talked about the film with friends or online, most people had kind words. It was one of those films whose popularity and acclaim has only grown over time.
With Comic-Con doing an at home edition due to the worldwide pandemic, I thought it would be cool to get the people involved in the making ofConstantinetogether for a 15th anniversary reunion. Thankfully, Keanu Reeves, director Francis Lawrence and producerAkiva Goldsmanall said yes!
As you can watch below Reeves, Lawrence, and Goldsman share some great behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the film, how the project happened, the reason they got an R-rating even though they shot a PG-13 movie, how Reeves was key to shooting the film in Los Angeles, how they ended up with a post-credits scene before the MCU,Michelle Monaghan’soriginal role in the film and why was it cut, why noir movies likeBlade RunnerandMaltese Falconwere more of an influence than contemporary superhero movies, and so much more.
If you’re a fan ofConstantineI promise you’ll learn a lot watching this conversation.
Finally, ahugethank you to Keanu Reeves, Francis Lawrence and Akiva Goldsman for doing this panel with us.
Here’s the panel followed by a time index of everything we talked about.
Keanu Reeves, Francis Lawrence and Akiva Goldsman:
