'John Wick' topples 'Avengers: Endgame' on opening weekend

LOS ANGELES: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes put up a good fight, but John Wick put at end to the three-week box office reign of Avengers: Endgame.

Propelled by positive reviews, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum beat expectations with a debut of $57 million from 3,850 North American locations. That was enough to nab the box office crown from Avengers: Endgame, Marvel’s latest juggernaut that collected $29.4 million during its fourth weekend of release.

PHOTO: REDDIT

Parabellum, the third installment of the action franchise, opened well above its predecessors 2014’s John Wick ($14.4 million) and 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2 ($30.4 million). John Wick 3 also hit a franchise record overseas, bowing with $35 million from 66 international markets for a global start of $92 million.

In Parabellum, Keanu Reeves returns as the titular ex-hitman who finds himself on the run from assassins. Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski helmed the movie, written by series-creator Derek Kolstad. Halle Berry and Laurence Fisburne also star. Males accounted for 63% of opening weekend moviegoers, with 45% of that crowd over the age of 25.

PHOTO: UPROXXX

Avengers: Endgame, which slid to second place on domestic box office charts, has now earned $771 million in North America. It officially passed Avatar and its $761 million haul to become the second-highest grossing movie at the domestic box office behind only Star Wars: The Force Awakens with $937 million. Avengers: Endgame hit $2.6 billion in ticket sales worldwide, inching toward Avatar and its $2.78 billion global box office record.

Hollywood is banking on some big blockbusters, as well as a few surprise hits, to boost revenues during the busy summer movie season.

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