‘John Wick 4′ and other franchises with four movies

‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2023, with strong early box office numbers confirming fans are still enthralled by the franchise.

Given the success of the ‘John Wick’ franchise, its no surprise it’s also branching off into spin-offs.

However, with the release of a fourth film, which once again stars Keanu Reeves, the franchise is now part of a group of films that managed to surpass the standard trilogy.

Here’s a look at other big movie franchises that managed to release four films.

The Matrix

After releasing three movies between 1999 and 2003, ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ brought the franchise back to theaters for the first time in 18 years.

Set 60 years after ‘The Matrix Revolutions’, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is now seemingly living a normal life as a video game developer.

However, a group of rebels, along with the help of a reprogrammed Morpheus, help him discover that he’s been trapped in the Matrix all these years. Neo then sets off on saving Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) who is also captive.

Although critics praised the cast and action sequences, criticism was directed at its writing, the recasting of several actors and suggestions that the franchise was outdated.

The film also disappointed at the box-office, bringing in just $159 million worldwide on a budget of $190 million.

Die Hard

Bruce Willis reprised his role as John McClane for the fourth instalment of the ‘Die Hard’ franchise, ‘Live Free or Die Hard’.

Released in 2007, the film focuses on McClane trying to stop a cyber-terrorist from starting an attack that would disable key parts of the nation’s infrastructure.

The film received generally positive reviews, with many calling it a return to form for the series. It went on to gross $388 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing instalment in the franchise.

A fifth film, ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’, was released in 2013.

The Hunger Games

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2′ was an adaptation of the second half of the final ‘Hunger Games’ book, Mockingjay.

The film picks up following Part 1, in which Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) continues her revolt against the Capitol in hopes of finally ended the struggle once and for all.

After premiering in Berlin on November 4, 2015, the film was later released internationally, earning $102 million over its opening weekend.

It ended up grossing over $653 million worldwide, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2015, though it was the lowest-grossing instalment of the franchise.

A prequel, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, is set to be released on November 17, 2023.

Indiana Jones

The fourth instalment of the ‘Indiana Jones’ series, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, hit theatres in 2008, 19 years after the first film.

Harrison Ford reprised his role as the titular character as he searches for a telepathic crystal skull that the Soviet KGB, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), are also looking for.

He is joined by his former lover, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and their son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf)

Critics were more receptive to the film than audiences, though it still managed to gross $790 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2008.

A fifth instalment, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, is set to be released on June 30, 2023.

The Bourne series

The fourth film in ‘The Bourne’ series, ‘The Bourne Legacy’, was the first to star someone other than Matt Damon as Jason Bourne.

Instead, the film focuses on agent Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner, as he runs for his life once Operation Treadstone and Operation Blackbriar are exposed to the public.

Although some fans weren’t a fan of the new direction, the film proved to be a success, grossing $276 million at the box office.

Damon reprised his role in ‘Jason Bourne’, which was released in 2016.