Yes, the Keanussance even extends to home releases. If you were thinking to yourself, "Who even buys DVDs, Blu-rays, or digital movies?" the answer is Keanu Reeves fans for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. And also other people for other movies, but today's class is on Keanu. (Wouldn't it be fun to major in Keanu?)
John Wick: Chapter 3 has been a gift for Lionsgate. It's the true winner of the summer 2019 box office. It also just became the studio's highest-grossing home entertainment title in five years, since the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 in 2014. So far, John Wick 3 has sold more than 3 million units in hard discs, electronic sales, and VOD, Deadline reports. John Wick 3 is Lionsgate's biggest ever electronic sell-through (EST) title. It topped John Wick: Chapter 2 within its first three days of EST release.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum has been out on Digital since August 23, and it released on disc and On Demand on September 10. There are multiple making-of featurettes, but no deleted scenes -- not that there weren't cut scenes. One John Wick 3 star was sorry to see some really cool scenes cut.
Maybe Lionsgate will be heartened by the strong home release response and release a bonus disc with deleted scenes. Heck, if Marvel can do a whole Infinity Saga with scenes they even admitted are bad, Lionsgate can give us some of the good stuff cut from the John Wick films.
Speaking of Lionsgate feeling heartened, here's Lionsgate President of Worldwide Home Entertainment Ron Schwartz with a statement to Deadline:
The popularity of the John Wick franchise continues to surge with strong growth across packaged media, electronic sell-through and video-on-demand platforms. The success of John Wick: Chapter 3 is a testament to the film’s incredible cast, led by Keanu Reeves, and amazing creative team, the efforts of our sales and marketing executives, and the vibrancy of the home entertainment business across all of its platforms.
But mostly Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski. This has been Keanu's year. And even if he's bemused by the sudden surge of attention in 2019, he's at least happy that the attention has been positive. (Except for Replicas, but let's move on from that.)
So far in 2019, Keanu Reeves has had wins with both John Wick 3 and the Netflix film Always Be My Maybe in May; then Toy Story 4 Duke Cabooming in June; and even a cameo in Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which just hit Netflix yesterday. He has the long-awaited Bill & Ted Face the Music movie and the Cyberpunk 2077 game both coming in 2020.
Oh, and also John Wick 4? Damn right. John Wick: Chapter 4 is not only happening, it has already locked in a release date of May 21, 2021. Keanu may also have a cameo in The Continental prequel series that's meant to show up on Starz at some point.
Are you one of the millions to watch John Wick: Chapter 3 at home? If so, did you watch any bonus features too?
