John Wick: Chapter 4 looks like the assassin's most globetrotting and stylish outing yet, but hints at a much bigger budget than the previous movies. The first John Wick movie had a relatively low budget compared to other movies of its nature, as it was made for just $20 million, and since then, each movie's budget has steadily increased, and that's clear from how increasingly ambitious each movie has gotten. While John Wick was set entirely in New York, the franchise has since visited Rome, Casablanca, and John Wick: Chapter 4 will see the assassin visit Paris, but all that jetsetting comes with a towering budget.
A lot of elements to John Wick: Chapter 4 could keep any other movie from being a blockbuster at the box office. John Wick: Chapter 4 has a 170-minute runtime, which limits the amount of showings per day, and it has an R-rating, which limits its audience. But it's part of a long-running franchise, which has only grown in popularity since the first film's release in 2014. And, ultimately, the success of a movie is relative to the amount it costs to make and market. However, given that John Wick: Chapter 4 is the most expensive movie in the franchise yet, its box office success might not be that easy.
John Wick 4 Likely Cost Around $90 Million & Is The Most Expensive Yet
John Wick: Chapter 4's budget hasn't officially been confirmed, but the gradual budget increase of the series provides a ballpark figure. Following John Wick, the budget doubled to $40 million for the sequel, and it increased to $75 million for the threequel. The new movie could have a budget of $90 million, but even that's conservative. John Wick: Chapter 4 features even more jetsetting and is 30 minutes longer than the previous movie, so the production would have cost way more than ever. And as the actors are returning once again, they have the upper hand when it comes to salary negotiations.
How Much John Wick 4 Needs For Box Office Success (Will It Be One?)
The general rule of thumb when it comes to movies breaking even at the box office is that they need to make 2-2.5 times the budget. Studios generally spend the same amount as the production budget on marketing alone, though that's a case-by-case basis. Given that John Wick: Chapter 4 is one of Lionsgate's tentpole movies, the studio has clearly spared no expense when it comes to marketing. Then there's the movie theatres' cut of the box office too. In total, if the movie had a budget of around $90 million, it needs to gross between $180 million to $225 million to break even and become a success.
Nevertheless, John Wick: Chapter 4's projected box office opening is a franchise best. Each John Wick movie has made around double the previous release, as John Wick made $80 million, John Wick: Chapter 2 made $171 million, and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum made $327 million. As the franchise's fanbase is bigger than ever and as the new movie has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the series yet, John Wick: Chapter 4 could follow this pattern. As it's now a well-established franchise, the new release could potentially cross $600 million, and the only thing holding it back is its long runtime.