‘John Wick 4’ Earns Franchise-Best $8.9 Million in Previews

“John Wick: Chapter 4”, the newest episode of the gun-slinging, knife-throwing action franchise, is on track for a franchise-record opening weekend. The fourth film from Lionsgate debuted with $8.9 million in previews at the American box office.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” is on course to eclipse the record-setting opening weekend of “John Wick: Chapter 3” with an anticipated debut between $65 million and $70 million. Each picture has significantly expanded its opening weekend release since its first release.

The first “John Wick” debuted in 2014 with $14 million, followed by “John Wick: Chapter 2” in 2017 with $30,4 million and “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” in 2019 with $56,8 million. Domestic Thursday previews for “John Wick” were $950,000, “John Wick 2” was $2,200,000, and “John Wick 3” grossed $5,910,000.

The fourth episode is the most expensive to make, costing more than $100 million, but it should finish with the greatest total.

“John Wick 3” grossed $328.3 million worldwide, followed by “John Wick 2” with $174.3 million and the original with $86.1 million. With this weekend’s sole major new release, “John Wick 4” should have little issue dethroning last week’s box office champion, “Shazam: Fury of the Gods.”

In the most recent film, Keanu Reeves’ master assassin returns to destroy the High Table crime syndicate for good, and he must battle Bill Skarsgard’s Marquis Vincent de Gramont to regain his freedom. Along the journey, Wick battles the blind swordsman Caine (Donnie Yen) and the mysterious tracker Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), who shares Wick’s affection for canines.

With returning performers Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Lance Reddick, who unfortunately passed away last week at the age of 60, Rina Sawayama and Hiroyuki Sanada also enter the “John Wick” world.

Reeves and director Chad Stahelski paid tribute to Reddick prior to the film’s debut.

Reeves stated at the Los Angeles premiere, “Lance is a people-person, an exceptional artist, and a gentleman of elegance and decency. Every time he went onto the set, it was truly remarkable to observe the passion he had for his profession. He is really easy to deal with.”

“Lance was in my life for about a decade,” Stahelski added. “Although that was accomplished over the course of four films, we have collaborated on other projects. Just feel glad and proud that I had the opportunity to spend so much time with him. We will certainly miss him.”