John Wick: Chapter 4 collects a bounty of $8 million in Thursday night previews

Last Updated on March 28, 2023

Mr. Wick, it is so good to see you again.

The much-buzzed-about fourth entry in the John Wick franchise is finally upon us. And John Wick: Chapter 4 blew away the previous movie’s opening numbers with a Dragon’s Breath shotgun. Thursday night previews collected $8 million, according to Deadline. This opening total is a franchise-best after Chapter 3 – Parabellum opened with $5.9 million in 2019. Preview screenings started at 3 pm on Thursday, and the film is tracking to pull in $65-$70 million for the weekend.

The action extravaganza would surpass numbers for recent notable R-rated affairs such as 2018’s Halloween, which had scared up $7.7 million on its Thursday previews, and Bad Boys for Life slapped its Thursday showings with $6.3 million in 2020. The hype of Chapter 4 would build momentum for opening weekend presales. Since its premiere across the pond, the amount of praise that has been showered on this movie has not only called this film the best in the series, but many audiences are calling this one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Chapter 4 is said to have pre-sold three times as many tickets as Bullet Train, which was helmed by former John Wick co-director David Leitch and was produced by his 87North productions, which coincides with John Wick director Chad Stahelski‘s 87eleven productions. Parabellum was Keanu Reeves’ second biggest opening after the anticipated sequel to The Matrix — The Matrix Reloaded — had garnered $91.7 million on its opening weekend.

This installment is projected to hit $115 million on its global debut this weekend from 71 offshore territories, which will include the UK, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico. John Wick: Chapter 4 would generate a more worldwide appeal as it made the most of its budget with elaborate set pieces that took place all over the world in such locations as Jordan, Berlin, Japan, and Paris.

Deadline notes that these are weekend estimates according to The Box Office Company, which powers showtimes for Google, IMDB, Bing, TikTok, and Apple with its Pulse product. It’s entirely possible for the numbers to fluctuate, although this film is expected to do well in late-night business.