Playing the role of assassin John Wick in the first part of the action series of the same name, Keanu Reeves only earned about 1 – 2 million USD. This number increased many times when the actor participated in the latest part of the billion-dollar franchise.
In the past 10 years, Keanu Reeves ‘ name has become “hot” again when the Canadian actor returned to the big screen with the action series John Wick . While fans are eagerly awaiting part 5 of the film, the salary that the 59-year-old star received for this famous role is also becoming a topic of attention.
According to The Hollywood Reporter , Keanu Reeves is said to have received around $1 to $2 million (from 24 to nearly 49 billion VND) for participating in the first part of the film. However, this site revealed that the amount of money the famous actor received was much more because he had “partial ownership in the film” (shares). For that reason, the star could earn a huge income when receiving both a salary and a percentage of the profits from the work.
John Wick (2014) cost an investment of about 20 million USD and earned more than 86 million USD. Although this number is not too large, the positive feedback that the film received urged the producer to continue making part 2. In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), Keanu Reeves continued to play the main role of John Wick and his salary was also much higher than the previous part. This number was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter to be about 2 million to 2.5 million USD (nearly 49 billion VND to more than 61 billion VND). In addition, the star born in 1964 also earned a decent amount thanks to owning shares in the film.
Going into the third part John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum , there is no information about the salary that Keanu Reeves received for playing the main role. But by the fourth part called John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), the amount the film crew had to pay for this famous actor increased at least 7 times compared to the first part. Specifically, this star is said to have received 15 million USD (more than 366 billion VND) to continue “stirring up” the big screen with the image of a “pencil assassin”. The amount the Hollywood artist earns from this “blockbuster” is also determined to be much more than that as he continues to hold ownership shares.
The first part of the John Wick series was released in 2014, revolving around the story of John Wick – a once-notorious assassin who has now “washed his hands of the sword” and retired to live a peaceful and happy life with his wife. After his wife passed away, he lived a lonely, desperate life with only his pet dog as a companion. One day, when his dog was killed and his beloved car was stolen, John decided to hunt down the people behind this incident, making them pay with their lives. From then on, John Wick got caught up in grudges and blood debts in the underworld and was forced to return to his previous job…
With each new installment, the series’ revenue has steadily increased. To date, all four John Wick films have grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office. The success of this billion-dollar action franchise has also prompted the producer to launch the prequel series The Continental: From the World of John Wick (2023), the spin-off Ballerina (2024), and to nurture a number of other potential projects. Along with that, Lionsgate has also “green-lit” part 5 of the film. According to Daily Mail , although the main character – John Wick, seemed to have died at the end of part 4, in May 2023, there was information that the sequel was being made. In a press conference not long ago, Joe Drake – president of Lionsgate film group, also revealed that this assassin will return to the big screen. He is also confident that the John Wick series will grow exponentially in the coming years.
