Eva Longoria’s John Wick involvement is a surprising but pivotal part of the iconic action franchise. Known for her work in Hollywood spanning the past few decades, Longoria has acted in, produced for, and directed countless films and television shows in the English and Spanish languages. Longoria is immediately recognizable for her acting in the award-winning comedy-drama Desperate Housewives, the well-established soap opera The Young and the Restless, and nostalgic films like The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and Over Her ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Body (2008).

While many know Longoria from her acting achievements, she has just as much experience behind the scenes as she does out in the limelight. Longoria has directed major projects, from the 2023 biographical comedy Flamin’ H๏τ to episodes of Blackish. She is also credited with producing several entertainment favorites, including the hit series Devious Maids, and more surprisingly, the first film in the billion-dollar John Wick franchise. Her role in the John Wick franchise was shocking on its own, but her involvement in the first movie, now retroactively called John Wick: Chapter 1, was not what anyone would expect.

Eva Longoria Wasn’t Properly Involved In John Wick

Longoira’s Financial Contribution Helped The Movie Get Made

While Longoria has a history of getting down to business with her many projects, she didn’t have to lift a finger to gain her producing credits in the John Wick franchise. Longoria’s acting credentials and backstage experience would seemingly warrant more from the Hollywood mogul. However, it seems she never even made it to set. In fact, all Longoria provided for John Wick: Chapter 1 was a hefty check.

In the director’s commentary released with the Blu-ray/DVD of John Wick: Chapter 1, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch discussed the John Wick franchise’s ambitious first movie, and one of the two directors shared, “Never met her, but we thank her for writing a check.” The feature didn’t offer any further context, but it can be ᴀssumed that the television- and movie-savvy Longoria read the script and/or saw the vision for what would become one of the biggest action franchises in cinema. Her involvement was thin, but she can be appreciated for bankrolling a legacy.

Eva Longoria Isn’t A Producer For John Wick’s Sequels

The John Wick Movies’ Budgets Grew

The extent of Longoria’s John Wick franchise involvement concluded after the first film. The John Wick movies — now including the rumored John Wick: Chapter 5, a prequel series The Continental, and a spinoff, The Ballerina, featuring Ana de Armas — went on to become a highly successful and exceedingly expensive franchise. The financial jump from the first film that Longoria is credited on to John Wick: Chapter 2 was mᴀssive.

The first John Wick had an estimated budget of $20 million (via Box Office Mojo) and made a worldwide gross of $87 million. Because the success of the first film was so incredible, the budget of the second increased to double the amount of its predecessor. The second installment of the John Wick franchise was budgeted at $40 million. This time, the funding likely came from studios, production houses, or other large enтιтies over individual investors like Longoria.

What Else Has Eva Longoria Produced?

Longoria Has Produced Short Films, Podcasts, And TV Shows

While Eva Longoria’s producing career continues, she has not had another huge success like with her investment in John Wick. It seems as though Longoria’s producing efforts are largely focused on smaller projects with the hope of helping new filmmakers get their projects made. She has served as a producer on a number of short films over the years, including Wasted Beauty, which won Best Short at the Northeast Film Festival.

Longoria has also produced award-winning documentaries, like La Guerra Civil, as well as award-winning podcasts like Supreme: The Battle for Roe. Some of the most notable successes that Longoria has had as a producer outside of John Wick are on television. She has been behind the scenes of several notable shows over the last several years, including Devious Maids, Grand H๏τel, and Land of Women, in which she also stars.

Source: Box Office Mojo