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kottke.org posts about John Wick

The World Building Bureaucracy of Sequels

posted by Jason Kottke   May 21, 2019

An intriguing insight from Khoi Vinh in his short review of the third John Wick movie:

This is what usually happens: a film creates a compelling fantasy world and fans clamor for more. So sequels build that world out, they show more of its mechanics, its people, its history. But "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum" demonstrates one little acknowledged principle of escalated world building: the inevitable outcome is bureaucracy.

[...]

Things that were at first only suggested become explicit, mysteries are explained, and idiosyncrasies metastasize into red tape. Suddenly filmmakers find themselves in a position where building the world becomes its own motivation.

See also Why the Writing in Game of Thrones' Season 8 Feels Off. (via @capndesign)