Ballerina's Disappointing Box Office Return Has Me Worried About The Future Of The Franchise That I Love
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I'm a huge fan of the John Wick franchise, and while I was a little frustrated with the timeline issues in Ballerina, I thought it was a solid, though not spectacular, movie. However, the spinoff's disappointing box office has me concerned that the franchise can only succeed if Keanu Reeves is the star, and I hope that's not the case.
Ana de Armas certainly has the star power to carry a movie, and the rest of the Ballerina cast, including Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Anjelica Houston, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick, bring plenty of glitz and glamour to the film as well. Then, of course, there is the star of the franchise, Keanu Reeves. Reeves was originally only announced as a cameo in Ballerina, but he ended up with a bigger role.
That star power didn't translate to box office power, though. According to the latest numbers from Box Office Mojo, Ballerina has brought in just under $92 million worldwide. That is on a reported budget of $90 million. There is still time for the movie to make a little more money in theaters, but I think it's safe to say that wherever the final numbers land, it will be underwhelming. That has me worried about the future of the franchise, especially in projects that don't include Reeves, like the planned spinoff starring Donnie Yen as his character, Caine.
Director Chad Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad (along with writer Shay Hatten) have created an incredible world in the John Wick movies. They've managed to do the seemingly impossible these days in Hollywood: build a new franchise without relying on existing I.P. The four films have all been successful with fans and critics alike, and while Ballerina has been generally praised by reviewers and audiences who have seen it, it seems not enough people are excited to see a movie that isn't focused on John Wick himself.
This leads to the natural question: as popular as the character is, and as great as all the movies have been, including Ballerina, can this franchise succeed without the titular character? It's a question I can't answer yet, but if it's going to, the box office returns will have to be better.
John Wick 5 is on the way, and it's a safe bet that it will be massively popular, just as the first four have been. Reeves and Stahelski will be back, and it's hard to imagine it won't be as good – and as successful – as the first four. Stahlelski is also excited about the Caine spinoff, which won't feature Reeves.
On the flip side, however, is the undercurrent of both Ballerina's less-than-stellar box office numbers and the spinoff prequel show, The Continental, that didn't set the world on fire, either. The show, starring Mel Gibson and Colin Woodell, which you can stream on Peacock, got mixed reviews, and while it continued to build the world, it didn't bring a whole lot more to the table.
So, that leaves us where we are today. We know the future of the John Wick franchise is bright when Reeves' now-iconic character is the focus, but it has me wondering if it can be without him. I sure hope so, because I really want more of the this world in my life.
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