Latest John Wick tops North America box office in a big, bloody opening

LIONSGATE’S neo-noir action thriller John Wick: Chapter 4 opened this weekend with North American ticket sales estimated at an impressive US$73.5 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on Sunday (Mar 26).

Analyst David A Gross called it “a superb opening”, noting that each Wick sequel has managed to outdo its predecessors.

Reviews have been mostly positive: “Would that all action films were so well and cleanly choreographed,” the Washington Post gushed; but some reviewers saw the body count – more than 100 per bloody Wick movie – as a bit much.

Chapter 4 owes its choreography largely to director Chad Stahelski, himself a former stuntman. Starring along with Keanu Reeves, in a tale that has the titular hitman fighting a powerful international crime group – are Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard and Laurence Fishburne.

Last weekend’s box office leader, Shazam! Fury of the Gods took in just US$9.7 million, slipping to second place, in what Variety called “one of the worst turnouts for a modern superhero movie”. The DC/Warner Bros film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Adam Brody.

In the third spot was Scream VI from Paramount and Spyglass Media, at US$8.4 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Skeet Ulrich star in the horror flick.

In fourth was yet another sequel, United Artists’ boxing drama Creed III, at US$8.37 million. Michael B Jordan directs and plays the title character; his co-star Jonathan Majors was arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a woman in a domestic dispute.

And in fifth, down one spot from last weekend, was sci-fi thriller 65 from Sony and Columbia Pictures, at US$3.3 million. Adam Driver stars in a time-travel saga that juxtaposes spaceships and dinosaurs.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

SEE ALSO

‘Scream’ still echoes, topping North America box office

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (US$2.4 million)

Cocaine Bear (US$2.1 million)

Jesus Revolution (US$2 million)

Champions (US$1.5 million)

Avatar: The Way of Water (US$1.4 million) AFP