Keanu Reeves has been on an impressive run as of late. From memorable roles in Toy Story 4 and the Netflix original Always Be My Maybe to his upcoming appearance in Cyberpunk 2077 next year, Reeves' momentum doesn't appear to be slowing down. Now it appears 2021 will be a peak year for Reeves as both The Matrix 4 and John Wick: Chapter 4 will be releasing on the very same day, May 21, 2021.

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It isn't unheard of to have two big franchise blockbusters release on the same day. Just last year, Bumblebee and Aquaman both released on December 21st. As crowded as movie theaters are already, there can be room for two films to succeed on the same weekend, especially if they are targeting different audiences -- as is likely Universal Pictures' hope this month with the release of Cats on the same day as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But two fourth installments in Keanu Reeves-led action franchises on the same day? Is there room for both when they will probably draw similar crowds, or will one blink and move to another date?

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There is a precedent for distributors to move the release date of a film to avoid competition. In 2014, Warner Bros. moved the released date of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice from May 6th to March 25, 2016. While the official statement was that the March release window would be better for the film, the common assumption is that this was to avoid competing with Captain America: Civil War, which was also scheduled to release on May 6th. It's difficult to imagine it was Warner Bros.' intention to put The Matrix 4 on a collision course with John Wick: Chapter 4, and it's likely one film will move to avoid unnecessary competition. The question is, which one?

Considering The Matrix 4 first, it seems on first glance that it is the bigger name property. While the John Wick series has been successful, the $327 million the most recent film made still pails in comparison to even the lowest-grossing Matrix film, and that doesn't even account for inflation. The biggest concern likely on Warner Bros.' mind in regards to The Matrix 4 is whether audiences are still interested in the series all these years later.

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The last Matrix film was The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. While the Matrix sequels are both not as highly regarded as the original, the third in particular failed critically and grossed $300 million less than its predecessor. However, Warner Bros. and directors, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, took a big gamble by releasing the third film only six months after The Matrix Reloaded. It's possible that audiences were just tired of the series after being disappointed with the first sequel and therefore didn't turn out for the second. In 2021, it'll be 18 years between Matrix films, so audiences may be more open to returning to the series. While some interest may have been lost over time, movies like Mad Max: Fury RoadJurassic World and Jumanji showed that old franchises can make a comeback. The Matrix could easily be next considering Keanu Reeves' revitalized popularity.

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Considering John Wick: Chapter 4, it's worth noting that while the series has never reached the box-office heights of The Matrix or its sequels, each film in the series has far out-grossed its predecessor. The latest entry in the series, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, even holds the title of being the film to dethrone Avengers: Endgame from the top of the box office. The John Wick films have successfully gone from a modest $80 million return on a $20 million budget to true summer blockbusters. If that's any indication, its reasonable to assume the fourth film will follow suit and gross upwards of $400-500 million.

That said, it may be impossible if John Wick: Chapter 4 is forced to go up against Reeves' most iconic character of his early action career. While the John Wick name is iconic now, it shouldn't be dismissed that the original Matrix film is one of the most influential action movies of all time. Warner Bros. can still count on the franchise name to bring in a sizable audience, even if the majority of Reeves' fans have moved on. Whereas Lionsgate may have more to lose, considering the third John Wick film was the studio's most successful opening weekend since the last Hunger Games film in 2015. John Wick is now its most valuable IP, at least, until the Hunger Games prequel releases, so the distributor may not want to risk any dollars by going up against something as iconic as The Matrix series.

Ultimately, it may not end up being about box office competition. John Wick co-star Lance Reddick recently stated in an interview with ComicBook.com that "there wasn't a script yet" for John Wick: Chapter 4. Considering we know The Matrix 4 is likely to start filming in 2020, that could mean John Wick: Chapter 4 won't begin production until late 2020 to account for Reeves. If that's the case, it seems unlikely that Lionsgate will stick to the May 21, 2021 release date.

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