The director of John Wick: Chapter 4 responds to criticism of the film’s marathon running time

The director of John Wick: Chapter 4 has hit back at criticism of the film’s gargantuan three-hour runtime.

The film – a third sequel to the hit 2014 action thriller starring Keanu Reeves – is the longest entry in the franchise to date, clocking in at two hours and 49 minutes. Compared to the original John Wick was only 101 minutes.

Critics and fans alike have questioned the rationale behind such a long-running sequel The guard Branding the film “overlong and overstuffed” in a two-star rating.

However, the film’s director, Chad Stahelski, has dismissed the implications of these criticisms Digital Spy: “If that’s the criticism, we’ll take it.”

He continued, “I don’t think we ever gave it a second thought, we’re just watching the movie. I think it’s the length that we consider to be the best version of the film. We tried longer, we tried much shorter. We think that’s a good film.”

This week, John Wick Fans were devastated by the news that Lance Reddick, who played Charon in the franchise, had died suddenly at the age of 60.

Reddick was also known for playing Baltimore Police Lieutenant Cedric Daniels The cable.

Reeves was among those who paid tribute to his late co-star, releasing a joint statement with Stahelski.

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick. He was the consummate professional and a pleasure to work with,” they said.

“Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, his family and friends. We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him very much.”

John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on March 24th.