Grossing more than $1 billion worldwide, the John Wick franchise is easily one of the best modern action sagas of all time. Some might even call it the GOAT of action franchises, and while there’s certainly an argument to be made for such claims, it all boils down to taste. Thankfully, if you’ve been living under a rock and have yet to see it, or perhaps have been a little hesitant to check it out because you’re one of those people who doesn’t like to watch things when they become a pop culture phenomenon, all four films in the main series will be in one place starting next month.
Premiering back in 2014, John Wick stars Keanu Reeves as a legendary hitman who comes out of retirement to seek revenge against the men who killed his dog. A dog, really? It might sound like a crazy premise, but when you realize that the pooch was the last gift given to him by his wife before she died, it all makes sense. What follows is a brutal portrayal of a grief-stricken widower who stoically goes about the business of eliminating his foes one by one in grizzly fashion, which, to be honest, we can’t blame him for.
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At the same time, director Chad Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad go about creating one of the most fleshed-out and believable criminal underworlds we’ve ever seen on camera. There’s a mythology present in the franchise that features a hotel that serves as neutral ground for assassins, an entire code of conduct they must adhere to, gold coins that act as not only currency but tokens of trust, and a governing body that comes into play later in the series called the High Table that’s made up of 12 crime lords. Seriously, this is one of the most intricate action franchises of all time that hearkens back to the James Bond saga, so it’s no wonder that it’s become as popular as it is.
‘John Wick’ Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
Hitting Hulu on August 15, all four films in the main John Wick series hold a combined Certified Fresh average of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, and its audience score isn’t far behind at 86%. The series has only gotten better with age, too, at least in terms of its box office gross. The first film in 2014 took in $86 million worldwide, while the latest entry, John Wick: Chapter 4, grossed more than $440 million in 2023.
It’s also gone on to spawn a TV prequel, The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which was a limited series that debuted on Peacock in 2023 that was made up of three episodes. A spin-off movie was also released last year, titled Ballerina, which takes place between John Wick Chapters 3 and 4 and features Ana de Armas as ballerina-turned-assassin Eve Macarro. It managed to take in $132 million in receipts and was met with favorable reviews from fans and critics.
The franchise shows no signs of slowing down, either, as there are a number of other projects in the works, including a film focusing on Donnie Yen’s character of Caine from Chapter 4, an animated series, and – of course – John Wick: Chapter 5. No dates have been set for any of those, so don’t look for them to drop any time soon, but still, it’s nice to know that fans can eventually expect all the action they can handle when they finally come to fruition.
In the meantime, be sure to stream all four John Wick films when they land on their new streaming home of Hulu beginning Aug. 15, 2025.
Source: Hulu
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
