MCS - Strong previews point 'John Wick 4' toward $65M-plus opening at box office

2023-03-24 17:54:03 ET

A sequel-filled March box office is preparing for a better weekend this time around, as momentum builds for Keanu Reeves' fourth visit to the well of John Wick.

John Wick: Chapter 4 ( NYSE: LGF.A ) ( NYSE: LGF.B ) is earning the best reviews of the four-movie assassin franchise, suggesting it's set to inject some life into theatrical receipts after the expensive Shazam! Fury of the Gods ( NASDAQ: WBD ) got off to a starkly disappointing start .

The new John Wick drew $8.9M in Thursday previews, a strong total and a franchise record (the third film pulled $5.9M in such previews) - and that suggests it's headed for a domestic opening of $65M-$70M, and a worldwide weekend topping $100M.

Unlike many franchises, John Wick seems to be building strength as it goes on. The first film, from 2014, grossed $43M; John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017 reached $92M domestic; and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum in 2019 grossed $171M, and a worldwide total of $327.8M.

The film - and what it means for smaller studio Lions Gate ( LGF.A ) ( LGF.B ) - led Benchmark to reiterate a strongly bullish view on the company, saying it's the unusual film that's " significant to perception of a studio stock ."

Meanwhile, after its stumble out of the gate, the new Shazam is likely to shed several million dollars in its sophomore outing - and there may be similar drops for Scream VI ( PARA ) ( PARAA ) and Creed III (United Artists/ AMZN ).

And with a strong action-film opening, John Wick may hold up well in a second weekend as well: Next Friday will bring wide releases of drama A Good Person (United Artists/ AMZN ) and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ( PARA ) ( PARAA ).

Cinema tickers: AMC Entertainment ( AMC ); Cineworld ( OTCPK:CNNWQ ); Cinemark ( CNK ); ( IMAX ); Marcus ( MCS ); Reading International ( RDI ); Cineplex ( CGX:CA ); National CineMedia ( NCMI ).

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