In 2023, John Wick is among the biggest motion franchises in Hollywood, which thus far consists of 4 motion pictures and a TV present, and has extra tasks on the way in which. However again in 2014, the title murderer performed by Keanu Reeves was an unknown commodity, arriving in a month that additionally delivered motion pictures like Gone Woman, Whiplash and Birdman. Actually, director Chad Stahelski was satisfied the primary John Wick film would go “straight to video”; as an alternative, it ended up making practically 9 figures.
Stahelski, who co-helmed John Wick with David Leitch (though he’s credited as a producer), mirrored on his preliminary expectation for a way the film can be delivered to and obtained by the plenty whereas chatting with Yahoo. In his phrases:
It’s important to do not forget that in 2014, no one knew John Wick. Keanu was doing smaller movies. We, Trustworthy to God, believed nobody was going to see the film. We thought we had been going straight to video.
Oh, how flawed Chad Stahelski and his cohorts had been about John Wick. Not solely was this film not relegated to the direct-to-video market, however the story about this retired murderer who armed himself again as much as precise revenge on all these remotely related to the individuals who killed his pet earned a whole lot of constructive essential reception. After which, because the cherry on prime of this proverbial sundae, John Wick finally made a bit of over $86 million worldwide off a reported funds of between $20-$30 million. Not solely does that qualify as a monetary success, it was simply $14 million shy of reaching $100 million.
Now, the John Wick journey might have merely been a one-and-done affair, with Keanu Reeves leaving the murderer behind him after that sole outing and discovering different methods to entertain the general public. Properly, he ended up doing that in any case within the years to observe with motion pictures like Toy Story 4, Invoice & Ted Face the Music and The Matrix Resurrections, however extra importantly, Lionsgate determined to broaden the John Wick mythology into a movie collection. Three sequels adopted, all of which had been additionally directed by Stahelski, excelled critically and did gangbusters on the worldwide field workplace, with Chapter 4 standing because the cream of the crop with its $440.1 million haul earlier this 12 months.
Though John Wick: Chapter 4’s ending appeared to definitively conclude the movie collection, particularly contemplating Reeves had requested for years for John to be “definitively killed,” there’s nonetheless speak about the potential for Chapter 5 being made. Whether or not or not that occurs, as indicated earlier, we’re now in cinematic universe territory with this franchise, as Peacock subscribers can stream the prequel present The Continental, Ballerina is slated on the 2024 motion pictures calendar, and there are additionally plans for a John Wick anime collection and one other live-action present that may, amongst different issues, discover The Excessive Desk “a bit of bit.”
If there’s a universe the place John Wick not solely didn’t spawn a movie collection however was despatched direct-to-video, I really feel for the individuals in that actuality. However for us right here, the primary three John Wick motion pictures might be discovered on Peacock, whereas Chapter 4 might be streamed on Starz, which you should purchase as an add-on to your Hulu subscription.
