‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ passes $300 million at box office

After opening with a franchise record of $73.5 million, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ has gone on to accumulate over $300 million globally after three weeks. This puts the movie on track to surpass “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” which is the current highest-grossing film in the franchise.

A triumph in action cinema

Many are attributing the film’s massive success to its achievements in action cinema. Specifically, how it balances high emotions with spectacular action sequences.

“The challenges he must face consecutively raise the stakes and every time Wick gets knocked to the floor, he runs lower on the willpower and strength to get back up,” said Andrew Salazar from Discussing Film.

“The additions of Caine [Donnie Yen] and the Tracker [Shamier Anderson] give this installment a more unpredictable edge than previous sequels in this regard.”

Critics are also singing the praises of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ The film currently has a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reeves’ most physically demanding role yet

The incredible display of action came with much physical exertion as Keanu Reeves explained in an interview with Total Film Magazine, ‘John Wick 4′ was his most physically demanding role to date.

“‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ was the hardest physical role I’ve ever had in my career so far,” he said. “They really trained me up to be able to have what we call the toolbox.”

Reeves revealed that he did most of his own stunts, which includes epic fight sequences and car chases.

“We took the car-driving to the next level, which I really enjoy,” Reeves said. “It was really fun to get a chance to learn those skills, and to play.”

A longer runtime

Each ‘John Wick’ film keeps getting longer. While the first film was just over an hour and a half, the second and third installments reached over two hours.

The fourth chapter clocks in at two hours and 49 minutes due to “expanding the scope of the story.”