Who Is John Wick?

The John Wick saga stands as a remarkable success story. This modest $20 million action film grew into one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, with box office earnings surpassing $1 billion worldwide. The criminal underworld knows this legendary hitman as “Baba Yaga” or “The Boogeyman,” and his story has captivated audiences through four acclaimed films.

A simple revenge tale about a retired assassin became a global phenomenon. The franchise’s journey began with John Wick’s story of loss in 2014. Each subsequent chapter built upon this foundation and achieved greater success. John Wick: Chapter 4 proved this by earning an impressive $440 million worldwide. Let’s dive into this legendary character’s complete story and see how he changed modern action cinema.

The Birth of a Franchise: How John Wick Came to Life

The John Wick story didn’t start as a blockbuster dream. It began with a writer who wouldn’t give up and a script that almost never saw the light of day. This tale of a legendary assassin started as a simple screenplay before it grew into a billion-dollar franchise.

Derek Kolstad’s original screenplay

Derek Kolstad wrote nearly 50 screenplays without any real success. He created a revenge thriller called Scorn in 2012. Kolstad almost gave up his screenwriting career after working on what he called “ungodly challenging” straight-to-DVD action films with Dolph Lundgren. His wife Sonja’s encouragement kept him going after she read his other screenplay Acolyte.

The first draft of Scorn took about a month to complete. Kolstad drew inspiration from lesser-known revenge thrillers like Faster (2010) and Harry Brown (2009). The screenplay’s heart – which became the film’s most memorable part – was already there: a retired assassin seeks revenge after gangsters kill his dog, his last link to his dead wife.

“I tried to explore what would happen if the worst man in existence found salvation,” Kolstad explained about his concept. “And when the source of his salvation is ripped from him, what happens? Do the gates of Hades open?”

From Cult Hit to Global Phenomenon: The Franchise’s Success

The numbers reveal a remarkable growth story that you rarely see in Hollywood franchises. A simple action film transformed into a worldwide phenomenon and defied what the industry expected every step of the way.

Box office performance across films

The John Wick series shows how each new movie substantially outperformed the last one. The 2014 movie got $86.1 million worldwide with a modest $20-30 million budget. This original success, though small, became the foundation for incredible growth:

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017): $171.5 million

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019): $326.7 million

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023): $425 million

This steady climb helped the franchise break the $1 billion mark at the global box office in 2023. Chapter 4 brought in nearly half that amount, even with its larger $100 million budget.

Critical reception and audience response

The franchise’s success goes beyond just money – critics loved it too. The first film got praise for its “efficient story” and “incredible fight sequences.” Many critics called it “one of the best action movies in a decade”. They pointed out how well the character lined up with Keanu Reeves’ acting style.

Audiences shared the excitement. Chapter 4 scored an “A” CinemaScore, drawing mostly male viewers (69%) over 25 years old (70%). The franchise’s appeal kept growing stronger, and critics rated each new movie higher than the last.

How word-of-mouth built the franchise

The sort of thing I love about John Wick’s story is its rise from uncertain beginnings to global success. A rough test screening left the filmmakers worried at first. All the same, director Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves, and co-director David Leitch saw something special on opening night:

“It’s an odd movie. There’s no action for 40 minutes and then the crowd went mental… We had never had that kind of reaction and that was the first time we knew that we had something cool”.

The real breakthrough came when the original film found its audience through home entertainment as a sleeper hit. These passionate fans drove the success of later theater releases, creating a cycle where each new movie became more popular than the last.

Expanding the Universe: Spinoffs and Related Media

The Continental TV series

The Continental: From the World of John Wick made its debut on Peacock in September 2023. This prequel miniseries takes a different approach with three 90-minute episodes. The story takes place in 1970s New York City and shows how young Winston Scott rose to power before he became the Continental Hotel’s owner. Mel Gibson stars with Colin Woodell who plays Winston. Together they reveal the hotel’s fascinating backstory. The show became Peacock’s biggest original hit of 2023, which proves fans love the franchise beyond the movies.

Ballerina and other film spinoffs

The franchise’s first movie spinoff “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro. She plays a young assassin who trains in the Ruska Roma traditions. The story fits between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, and Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick. Fans first saw these ballerina assassins in Chapter 3 when John visited The Director (Anjelica Huston). Len Wiseman directs this spinoff instead of Chad Stahelski. The movie hits theaters on June 6, 2025. More projects are coming too, including John Wick: Under The High Table TV series and a possible spinoff about Donnie Yen’s character Caine.

Video games and comic books

John Wick Hex brings the action to gaming with a strategy game that mixes chess-like thinking with the series’ signature style. The game features Ian McShane and Lance Reddick who return to their roles, and the film’s creative team helped develop it. The franchise also entered the comic book world with Dynamite Comics’ official mini-series. This five-issue prequel launched in September 2017. It shows John’s early hitman days and tells the story of how he met the assassin community and earned his “Baba Yaga” nickname. Each new medium stays true to what makes John Wick special while it opens up new parts of this carefully built world.

FAQs

Q1. Who is John Wick and why is he called “Baba Yaga”? John Wick is a legendary hitman in a fictional criminal underworld. He’s nicknamed “Baba Yaga” or “The Boogeyman” due to his exceptional skills and fearsome reputation among other assassins.

Q2. What are the gold coins used for in the John Wick universe? Gold coins serve as a special currency in the assassin’s world. They represent more than monetary value, symbolizing the commerce of relationships and favors within this secret society.

Q3. What is The Continental and why is it important? The Continental is a chain of luxury hotels that serve as neutral ground for assassins. It provides various services to its members and enforces a strict “no business” rule on its premises, making it a crucial safe haven in the John Wick universe.

Q4. How has the John Wick franchise influenced action cinema? The franchise revolutionized action filmmaking with its innovative “gun fu” style, steady cinematography, and emphasis on practical stunts. It raised audience expectations for fight choreography and inspired numerous copycat films.

Q5. Are there plans for more John Wick movies or spinoffs? Yes, there are plans for expanding the John Wick universe. A fifth movie is in development, and several spinoffs are in the works, including “Ballerina” starring Ana de Armas and a TV series called “The Continental.”