Neo. John Wick. John Constantine. Keanu Reeves has played many iconic characters over his more than 30-year career. Despite his breakthrough role having been a slacker in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Reeves was able to avoid being typecast and prove himself to be a versatile actor. He has easily shifted between different genres, appearing in action thrillers, animated comedies, rom-coms, sci-fi adventures, and more.
While some of Reeves’ films such as Replicas and The Matrix Resurrections have not been financially successful, he has normally been a major box office draw. His films have grossed more than $3.5 billion worldwide, and his acting career has not shown any signs of stopping. Reeves has brought an almost effortless charm to his roles, and no matter what character he played, people have always been happy to see him on-screen. As we look forward to his future films, here’s a look at Keanu Reeves’ 12 highest-grossing movies of all time.
12. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) — $171.5M
Although John Wick was able to exact his revenge on the Tarasovs, he wasn’t quite able to leave his hitman life behind. John Wick: Chapter 2 introduced Santino D’Antonio, a crime boss who had a Marker on John. The Marker was used to force John into doing Santino’s bidding, with Santino requiring John to help him rise to power by eliminating Santino’s sister. Chapter 2 introduced many new faces to the John Wick franchise including Common, Laurence Fishburne, and Ruby Rose. Widely considered to be a competently made sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 grossed $171.5 million, surpassing the box office numbers of its predecessor.
11. DC League of Super-Pets (2022) — $207.4M
Released a few months before Black Adam, DC League of Super-Pets was an animated superhero comedy set outside of the DCEU. The film had an evil guinea pig (Kate McKinnon) kidnap the Justice League, leaving it up to their “super-pets” to save the day. Comedic duo Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart were at the center of the film, with Johnson voicing Superman’s pet dog, Krypto, and Hart voicing a Kryptonite-powered Boxer named Ace. The Batman in DC League of Super-Pets was voiced by Reeves, who became Ace’s owner towards the end of the film. Grossing more than $207 million, DC League of Super-Pets ranked as the sixth highest-grossing animated film of 2022.
10. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) — $215.9M
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featured an incredible cast that included Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Gary Oldman. Reeves appeared in the film as Jonathan Harker, putting on an English accent that was the subject of much criticism. Jonathan Harker was definitely not one of Reeves’ finest performances, but it was still a joy to see him in the role. Bram Stoker’s Dracula was praised for its costume design, score, and Coppola’s direction. While Coppola took some creative liberties in his Dracula adaptation, his film received a warm reception from audiences and critics. It was also a financial success, grossing $215.9 million at the box office.
9. Constantine (2005) — $230.9M
Constantine was the directorial debut of I Am Legend and The Hunger Games series director Francis Lawrence. Reeves starred in the film as John Constantine, an exorcist with the ability to communicate with angels and demons. He eventually crossed paths with the troubled Angela Dodson, helping her as she investigated the death of her twin sister. Blending the superhero genre with supernatural horror, Constantine garnered a cult following and grossed over $230 million. Reeves revealed that he and Warner Bros. have been “trying” to get a Constantine sequel made, but was also unsure if the film would ever come to fruition.
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) — $233.1M
From Doctor Strange and The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson came The Day the Earth Stood Still, a 2000s update of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name. Reeves played Klaatu, an alien on a mission to stop the human race from destroying the Earth. The 2008 film focused on the threat of a climate apocalypse, moving the premise away from the 1951 film’s theme of nuclear warfare. Despite grossing an impressive $233.1 million, The Day the Earth Stood Still generally received negative reviews, receiving criticism for its messy plot and forgettable action sequences.
7. Something’s Gotta Give (2003) — $266.7M
Jack Nicholson starred in Something’s Gotta Give as Harry Sanborn, a wealthy man that only dated women under the age of 30. Taking his girlfriend Marin (Amanda Peet) to a beach house in the Hamptons, he learned that Marin’s mother, Erica (Diane Keaton), would also be staying there for the weekend. Sparks flew between Harry and Erica, but Harry had to compete for Erica’s affections with his doctor, Julian Mercer (Reeves). Other stars that featured in the film included Jon Favreau and Frances McDormand. Something’s Gotta Give grossed $266.7 million at the box office, grossing more than 2003’s Love Actually.
6. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) — $327.3M
The first John Wick franchise began with a box office gross of $86 million. By the third installment, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, that number had risen to $327.3 million, almost four times that of the original film. After killing Santino D’Antonio on Continental grounds, John Wick was declared “excommunicado” and forced to go on the run. Chapter 3 gave fans more of the “gun fu” they were looking for while continuing to push John’s story in interesting new directions. The film was a major success and left the story in a great position for John Wick: Chapter 4.
5. Speed (1994) — $350.4M
What would you do if you were on a bus rigged to explode if its speed dropped below 50 miles per hour? That was the situation Officer Jack Traven (Reeves) found himself in, in the 1994 action film, Speed. Unable to save the day alone, Jack enlisted the help of Annie (Sandra Bullock) to keep the other passengers safe. Speed offered high-octane thrills and plenty of suspense, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 1994. The film’s success led to an inferior sequel in Speed 2: Cruise Control, which saw Bullock return without Reeves.
4. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) — $427.3M
The finale to the Matrix trilogy, The Matrix Revolutions, was released only six months after The Matrix Reloaded. Despite the almost immediate release, the hype of Reloaded didn’t fully carry over to Revolutions, as the trilogy capper grossed more than $310 million less than the previous film. That however, did not mean that Revolutions wasn’t a financial success, as the third Matrix film still grossed $427.3 million at the box office. Revolutions ranked as the eighth highest-grossing film of 2003, above X2: X-Men United and Bad Boys II.
3. The Matrix (1999) — $467.2M
The Matrix was truly groundbreaking, featuring a thought-provoking plot, outstanding fight scenes, and mesmerizing visual effects. Although there were compromises she and her sister had to make in 1999, director Lilly Wachowski has revealed that the Matrix series is a “trans metaphor.” More than 20 years have passed since the release of the first Matrix, and yet, the film has continued to be remembered as one of the best sci-fi films of all time and as the best film in the Matrix saga. The film grossed $467.2 million during its theatrical run, ranking The Matrix as the fourth highest-grossing film of 1999.
2. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) — $741.8M
Four years after the original Matrix, audiences raced to the theaters to see the first sequel, The Matrix Reloaded. The second Matrix film wasn’t quite as innovative as the original, but was still massively entertaining and a decent continuation of Neo and Trinity’s story. Grossing more than $740 million worldwide, The Matrix Reloaded set a record in 2003 as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time before eventually being surpassed by Deadpool. The Matrix Reloaded ranked above Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as the third highest-grossing film of 2003, and has remained the highest-grossing film in the Matrix franchise.
1. Toy Story 4 (2019) — $1.073B
Toy Story 3 was considered by many to be a strong conclusion to a trilogy, but Disney nonetheless, pushed forward with a fourth installment. Toy Story 4 introduced Reeves as Duke Caboom, a toy who referred to himself as “Canada’s greatest stuntman.” Unfortunately that was not true, as Caboom consistently failed to perform the stunts advertised in his own commercial. Caboom’s failures led to him being abandoned by his owner, but allowed him to meet Woody and his friends. At $1.073 billion, Toy Story 4 grossed more than Toy Story 3 and was the eighth highest-grossing film of 2019.
