After a quiet couple of weeks for multiplexes, director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves injected some life into the box office this week as John Wick: Chapter 4 exploded into cinemas worldwide, racking up a franchise high global weekend in the process.
Domestically, the fourth entry in the hit gun fu action series punched, kicked, shot and stabbed its way to $73.5 million, eclipsing the $56.8 million North American bow for 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. It also eclipsed the the entire $43 million domestic gross of the first John Wick, and fell just short of Chapter 1’s worldwide total of $76 million.
Chapter 4 scored a further $64 million came in from 71 international markets, with the sequel debuting in first place in every country of release to bring in $137.5 million in total – $22.5 million ahead of tracking estimates, and almost $45 million up on Chapter 3 $93 million global opening weekend. For the time being, Parabellum remains the franchise’s biggest earner overall with a total of $327.2 million.
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As well as box office success, John Wick: Chapter 4 has also proven a hit with critics and is currently sitting on 95% on Rotten Tomatoes [you can read our ★★★★★ review of the “relentless gauntlet of mayhem” here]. Next up from the franchise is the three-part prequel series The Continental, along with the Len Wiseman-directed spinoff Ballerina, which will see Wick veterans Reeves, Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston and the late Lance Reddick appearing in supporting roles alongside Ana de Armas’ new assassin character.
“John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 is once again directed by Chad Stahelski and stars Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Lance Reddick as Charon, Ian McShane as Winston, and Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King. Newcomers to the franchise include Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Japanese-British pop singer Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada (Army of the Dead), Marko Zaror (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp), Bill Skarsgård (It: Chapter Two), Scott Adkins (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption).
John Wick: Chapter 4 is out now in cinemas.
