John Wick: Chapter 4 started its action-packed box office journey in previews on Thursday, and it's already seeing franchise-best numbers before going wide heading into the weekend.
Per Deadline, John Wick: Chapter 4 grossed $8.9 million from Thursday previews. For comparison's sake, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum started previews with $5.9 million on its way to a $22.6 million opening day and a current franchise record opening of $56.8 million back in 2019. Box office tracking for John Wick 4 has the franchise achieving new heights with an opening between $65-70 million.
When looking at other R-rated titles, Keanu Reeves' hitman topped the $7.7 million that Halloween earned back in 2018 on preview night, which resulted in an opening of $76.2 million, while it also bests the $6.3 million preview start of 2020's Bad Boys for Life, which also saw its very own franchise-best opening of $62.5 million. For Keanu Reeves, the actor will be chasing his very own records with the opening of the fourth John Wick film. It's possible this latest entry will become the second-best opening of his career, ahead of the $56.8 million of Parabellum, and behind the $91.7 million start of 2003's The Matrix Reloaded.
John Wick 4 May Be the Biggest in the Franchise
The John Wick franchise is rare in the sense that each subsequent installment, so far, has out-earned its predecessor. 2014's John Wick started small with a $14.4 million opening on its way to grossing $43 million domestically and $86 million globally on a $20 million budget. 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 improved on the first film's opening figure with $30.4 million on its way to a $92 million domestic take and $174.3 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is the current box office champ with a final tally of $171 million domestically and $328.3 million worldwide on a $75 million budget.
Despite John Wick 4's lengthy runtime, all signs point to the film earning big this weekend. The film is the best-reviewed John Wick entry to date with a 96 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it also has an audience score to match that impressive figure. The positive reactions for John Wick 4 poured in ahead of the film's release, with CBR declaring that "John Wick: Chapter 4 more than lives up to expectations while delivering some of the best action in the series."
John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently playing in theaters.
Source: Deadline