Quick summary
- The original John Wick, released in 2014, debuted in third place at the China box office for Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, per Artisan Gateway data cited by MovieWeb.
- No John Wick film played in mainland China theatres during the franchise’s rise, MovieWeb reports.
- John Wick: Chapter 4 reached Chinese cinemas in March 2025, about two years after its global release.
- Lionsgate is expanding the series, with a spin-off already out, an animated prequel in development and a fifth main chapter in the works.
Keanu Reeves‘ first John Wick film has opened in third place in Chinese cinemas, 12 years after it first reached audiences elsewhere. According to MovieWeb, which cites Artisan Gateway figures for the weekend of Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, the result is the latest sign that the action series is finally finding a theatrical audience in the world’s biggest moviegoing market.
A franchise that skipped China
The 2014 original was passed over by some distributors, MovieWeb says, because it was a modestly budgeted revenge film from two first-time directors with a star coming off a quiet run. It still grossed about $86 million worldwide. Each sequel then roughly doubled the one before, and Chapter 4 passed $440 million, according to the same report.
Through all of that growth, the series was absent from mainland Chinese theatres. MovieWeb points to the country’s reluctance to import violent R-rated films and, later, to Reeves being effectively shut out after a 2022 Tibet House benefit concert, which it says led Chinese streaming platforms to quietly remove most of his filmography. That account comes from MovieWeb alone, and this article has not independently confirmed it.
How the weekend chart looked
The first break came in March 2025, when John Wick: Chapter 4 received a surprise Chinese release two years after its worldwide debut. MovieWeb reports it was shown without cuts, which it describes as unusual given that regulators required Disney to trim Deadpool & Wolverine.
This weekend, the original film entered a chart still led by the Sony and Constantin Resident Evil reboot. That film took RMB28.5 million (about $4.3 million) in its fourth straight weekend on top and has passed $70 million in China since opening during Golden Week in early October, per MovieWeb. It is the third biggest Hollywood release in the market this year, behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
The outlet is careful not to oversell the result. It says it would overstate things to call this a full Wick phenomenon in China, though it calls the symbolism worth noting.
Why Lionsgate will care
Lionsgate has spent the past couple of years widening the John Wick world. The spin-off Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, arrived in 2025. An animated prequel in which Reeves would voice the character is in development, and a fifth main chapter is in the works, MovieWeb says.
The outlet argues that opening China to a series with a reported billion-plus in global grosses is found money, and could make future instalments easier to approve at their rising budgets. That is MovieWeb’s analysis rather than a studio statement. Readers who want more on the actor can browse everything we publish about Keanu Reeves or the wider Movies section.
What happens next
The report does not give a Chinese release plan for further John Wick titles, and Lionsgate has not been quoted on the result. The next data point will be the original film’s second weekend on the Chinese chart. Meanwhile, the fifth chapter and the animated prequel remain in development, with no release dates given in the source.
For more recent Reeves news, see our stories on his Netflix hurricane thriller Maelstrom and the Matrix trilogy now streaming free on Pluto TV.
Frequently asked questions
Where did John Wick place in China?
The original John Wick debuted in third place for the weekend of Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, according to Artisan Gateway data cited by MovieWeb.
Had a John Wick film played in China before?
Yes. MovieWeb reports John Wick: Chapter 4 received a surprise theatrical release there in March 2025, but no earlier film in the series had played in mainland China cinemas.
Which film led the Chinese chart?
The Resident Evil reboot from Sony and Constantin stayed first for a fourth weekend, adding RMB28.5 million (about $4.3 million), per MovieWeb.
