Keanu Reeves starrer John Wick: Chapter 4 collected an impressive $137.5 million (about Rs. 1,132 crore) globally during the opening weekend, completely trashing its spandex-wearing competition Shazam! Fury of the Gods at the box office. Roughly $64 million (about Rs. 527 crore) was pulled from markets outside the US, which is an impressive feat for the region given that past films in the John Wick franchise were subject to staggered releases. Boosted by positive reviews and general word of mouth, John Wick 4 has earned its franchise-best opening, bagging $73.5 million (about Rs. 605 crore) in the US and Canada.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, both critics and fans appear to be on the same page, with the Keanu Reeves-led film debuting at a 95 percent score apiece. As per Deadline, the UK was the biggest market in the non-US pack this time, collecting $6.7 million (about Rs. 55 crore), which is 56 percent ahead of 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’s collection in the region.
Following close behind is Germany, making an estimated $5.5 million (about Rs. 45 crore), while Australia added another $4.68 million (about Rs. 39 crore) to the pot. In light of the Ukrainian invasion in 2022, several Hollywood studios decided against releasing their films in Russia. However, the Lionsgate Motion Pictures Group co-chair Joe Drake claimed that John Wick: Chapter 4 had to be released in Russia because of ‘prior contracts’. “There were a number of steps that we needed to take. We felt comfortable in delivering the movie and consulted talent,” he stated, as the film went on to make $4.3 million (about Rs. 35 crore) in the region.
Mexico came close as well, collecting $4.2 million (about Rs. 34 crore), followed by India in seventh place, making $3.46 million (about Rs. 28 crore) in ticket sales. Next up, Brazil came in with $2.9 million (about Rs. 24 crore), and France threw in another $2.69 million (about Rs. 22 crore). John Wick 4 will release in Korea and the Middle East in April, while the Japanese release is set for September.
As a direct sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4 sees our titular hitman (Reeves) joining hands with The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and heading out on a globe-trotting quest for revenge against the High Table council. The film has the added responsibility of introducing Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård), a high-ranking member of the council, who challenges Wick to single combat where only one can survive. In an interview, director Chad Stahelski alluded that the new character will be in charge of ‘cleaning up all the messes from the first three movies’.
The film’s main competition at the box office, Shazam! Fury of the Gods opened with $65.5 million (about Rs. 539 crore), and has so far collected $102.4 million (about Rs. 843) crore after its second week. Seeing the results, director David F. Sandberg also claimed that he was ‘done with superheroes for now‘ and was eager to return to his horror roots.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now playing in theatres worldwide. In India, the film is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
