"John Wick: Chapter 4" is a very long movie at 169 minutes. The relentless set pieces in the two-and-a-half-hour action spectacular are so frantic and intense that you won't even notice you've been at the theatre for close to three hours. The movie's initial version, which director Chad Stahelski and editor Nathan Orloff said IndieWire clocked in at an enormous three hours and 45 minutes, did not have such easygoing pacing.

"To be honest with you, nothing was planned out," Stahelski stated of the film's running duration. "Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes long, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes long. 'Oh, we're so screwed,' we thought. Part of the reason "John Wick: Chapter 4" has such a long runtime is because it dramatically extends the universe of its titular character and includes a slew of new supporting characters, from Rina Sawayama's Akira to Shamier Anderson's mysterious Mr. Nobody and Donnie Yen's blind assassin Caine. The length of the film was increased by introducing and developing these people while remaining committed to John Wick's plot.

Orloff and Stahelski reduced the length of "John Wick: Chapter 4" to 169 minutes. Orloff wanted to make sure John remained the centre of the universe, while Stahelski wanted to keep the flow interesting. Stahelski required the post-production team to re-watch the film several times to maintain the proper pace. The cutting strategy evidently succeeded, as the picture received best-in-series reviews. "It's planned as a purposefully overstuffed present to 'John Wick' fans, and on one level it delivers," Variety film reviewer Owen Gleiberman said in his review.

The film will be released in theatres around the country on March 24.