Keanu Reeves, the king of franchises

Movie franchise about a hit man named John Wick

It is no secret to anyone that the success and popularity of Keanu Reeves in the cinema it is undeniable, not only has he been a teenage heartthrob and the protagonist of romantic films, he has also become one of the audience’s favorite action heroes and has led some of the most profitable franchises of the last two decades.

At 58 years old, it seems that Reeves lives one of its best moments and with the recently announced sequel to Constantineit is clear that the future in successful sagas will continue for the Hawaiian.

Keanu Reeves smiles during a panel about his comic book series, BRZRKR, in Hall Hat at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, US, July 22, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan

Before this film becomes a reality and can be seen Keanu again as the demon hunter that I played in 2005, below are some of the franchises that the actor leads and where they can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.

Bill & Ted

The saga of “Bill & Ted” has given three films. (Orion Pictures)

When Bill & Ted Face The Music was released in 2020 to critical acclaim and fan excitement, it represented at least two anomalies at once: a decades-later comedy sequel that a lot of people really liked, and a satisfying conclusion to the even weirder comedy trilogy. Comedy sequels often fail spectacularly and rarely become classics worthy of their originals.

Many comedy sequels fail because they try to expand on the premise of a single joke, adding additional mythology to a story that worked because of its simplicity. The joy of watching comedic banter unfold can also wear thin; If the unusual pair of Will Smith Y Tommy Lee Jones it was a surprise at first Men in Black was tedious at the time Men in Black II .

"Bill & Ted" it was Keanu Reeves' first franchise. (Orion Pictures)
“Bill & Ted” was Keanu Reeves’ first franchise. (Orion Pictures)

However, these are common flaws that the franchise Bill & Ted managed to avoid. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 1989 was a surprising success, and it may have been easy to essentially replicate the first film’s premise and put together a hastily constructed follow-up. There was an easy and safe route to the sequel, with Bill S Preston (Alex Winter) Y Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) about to fail a college exam and forced to once again rely on their time-traveling phone booth to transport them back through history.

Fortunately, the writers ed soloman Y Chris Matheson didn’t go in that direction and built a darker, weirder sequel that led to the Wyld Stallyns in a new direction without forgetting why the humor of the first film worked. The films of this franchise can be seen through Prime Video.

The Matrix

This groundbreaking franchise redefined a genre and has become a part of pop culture. (Warner Bros.)

The franchise MatrixIt consists primarily of a trilogy of science fiction and action films written and directed by the Wachowskis and produced by Joel Silver. The first film The Matrix it premiered in March 1999; after its success, two sequels were released, The Matrix Reloaded Y The Matrix Revolutionsin 2003. The fourth film, The Matrix Resurrectionswas released in December 2021. The characters and settings of the fictional universe of Matrix are further explored in other media, including animation, comics, and video games.

The series describes a cyberpunk story that incorporates numerous references to philosophical and religious ideas. Other influences include Hong Kong mythology, anime, and action films (particularly “heroic bloodshed” and martial arts films).

So far there are four films in this franchise. (Warner Bros.)
So far there are four films in this franchise. (Warner Bros.)

In the dystopia the series represents, Earth is dominated by sentient machines. Humans grow in capsules and are connected by cybernetic implants to an artificial reality called Matrixwhich keeps their minds in check while the machines use their bodies’ bioelectricity and thermal energy as a power source.

The virtual reality world, simulated by Matrix, resembles human civilization in the early 21st century (this time period was chosen because it is supposedly the pinnacle of human civilization). Most movies and games in the franchise Matrix take place in a large unnamed megacity, although not the only city within the Matrix, as other familiar places are mentioned and visited by characters throughout the trilogy and The Animatrix.

The four films of this saga are available through the platform of hbo max.

John Wick

Legendary assassin John Wick is forced out of retirement by a former associate who plans to gain control of a mysterious international group of assassins. (Lionsgate)

In an industry dominated by superhero movies ranging from Avengers: Endgame until Venom, batman, Aquaman and many more, the good old-fashioned action movie has struggled to survive. While yes, for the most part, comic book movies do have a lot of action, there is a significant difference between heroes with capes and hoods and more straightforward action movies about non-superpowered humans or supernaturals.

Traditional action movies have been struggling for a while. They had a decent run in the 2000s, with the trilogy of Bourne the first outputs of Daniel Craig What james-bond and more. But as the film industry transitioned into the 2010s, and Marvel Cinematic Universe started to dominate, plain and simple action movies really hit a rough patch, both creatively and at the box office.

This year the fourth part of John Wick is released. (Lionsgate)
This year the fourth part of John Wick is released. (Lionsgate)

John Wick, as a series, was able to do something that no other action series at the time could do: steadily grow its viewership with each new episode. The first film of Expendables it grossed a little over $100 million domestically, but then dropped to $85 million and $39 million with its sequels. His first movie grossed $145 million domestically, but then his second and third movies dropped to $139 million and $89 million, respectively.

This franchise has been able to achieve the kind of success that it has because it was able to bring something new to the action genre. Instead of the somewhat static and predictable action sequences that audiences had grown accustomed to, John Wick he really spiced things up by injecting a ton of personality, vibrant creativity, and stylized violence into his fight scenes. On top of that, most of the action sequences are shot at wide angles, which makes it easier for the audience to see and understand what’s going on.

A fifth part of this story is contemplated. (Lionsgate)
A fifth part of this story is contemplated. (Lionsgate)

Much of the series’ personality comes from the directorial duo behind the first John Wick, Chad Stehelsky Y David Leitch. The two filmmakers started out as stuntmen, working on films ranging from Matrix Y Blade until 300 and the franchise Bourne . John Wick It served as the directorial debut for both former stuntmen, and having two people thoroughly familiar with stunt work directing the film paved the way for some of the best action sequences of the 21st century.

The first three movies John Wick are available on platforms Prime Video, Netflix Y Star+.

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Keanu Reeves, the king of franchises