Hollywood has had a history of nurturing some of the biggest and most successful film franchises over the years. Three of the film series namely Mission Impossible, The Matrix, and Die Hard have not only attained cult status but have also created superstars in Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, and Bruce Willis respectively.
Expectedly, these films were top grossers at the box office leading to a very successful partnership between the actors and the franchise. Cruise, Reeves, and Willis meanwhile added to their name and fame by each earning a staggering amount for being the face of their respective franchise. Keanu Reeves though, beat some stiff competition from his colleagues, to earn his place at the top of the paycheck race.
Keanu Reeves Is Officially Franchise King
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves became a bonafide action star with the sci-fi thriller The Matrix. The Speed actor played a computer programmer named Neo who fights a dystopian war against machines in a virtual world. The Matrix and its sequels went on to become pioneers in the sci-fi genre, while also making Reeves one of the most bankable and successful action stars in the industry.
The celebrity is now officially the highest-earning actor of any franchise, beating out heavyweight counterparts like Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible series and veteran action superstar Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series. As per the latest reports, the 56-year-old actor has made a whopping 156 million dollars in total from the franchise. Willis and Cruise’s net worth from both their franchises amounted to a little over 100 million dollars, making Reeves the undisputed king of franchise filmmaking.
Keanu Reeves’ Next Is A John Wick Spin-Off
After his very successful tenure with The Matrix, Keanu Reeves took his luck with franchises to the next level with the John Wick series. John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest in the venture, was released in March 2023 and opened to extremely positive responses from audiences and critics alike, making Reeves’ collaboration with director Chad Stahelski one of the most successful actor-director partnerships in Hollywood.
The Matrix star will next be seen reprising his role of John Wick in a spin-off film titled Ballerina. Taking place between the events that occur in the 3rd and 4th film installments, the movie follows the ballerina/assassin Rooney, who first appeared in John Wick: Parabellum as she hunts down the murderers of her family. Ana De Armas will play the titular role in the film which is set to release in 2024. Reeves, who will be playing a supporting role in the spin-off, said,
“Yeah, I got to work with Ana de Armas, and the director Len Wiseman, and they had a great script, and John Wick has a small part to play in it. It was fun to put the suit back on.”
Speaking of his recent success with John Wick 4, Keanu Reeves complimented director Chad Stahelski’s vision for the franchise. He also heaped praise on his co-actor Bill Skarsgård and his character Marquis de Gramont for a brilliant performance that elevated the film multifold.
Source: The Daily Mail
