'Ballerina' Kicks Off with $25 Million North American Opening, Fourth-Biggest for 'John Wick' Franchise

Ana de Armas's "Ballerina" has pirouetted its way to a $25 million opening weekend in North America, marking the fourth-largest debut within the popular "John Wick" franchise. The action-thriller also represents Lionsgate's strongest opening since "The Hunger Games" prequel in November 2023.

Despite falling slightly short of pre-release projections of $27 million to $31 million, "Ballerina" secured the second spot at the domestic box office. The film's reported budget of $90 million suggests a path to financial success, especially with positive word-of-mouth circulating.

"Ballerina" notably surpassed the opening weekend performances of other recent summer releases, "Furiosa" and "The Fall Guy." Its North American haul included $3.8 million from Wednesday and Thursday previews, $6.9 million on Friday, $8.2 million on Saturday, and an estimated $6.2 million on Sunday.

The film's performance also outpaced the original "John Wick" movie's 2014 debut ($14.4 million). The top opening weekends for the franchise now stand as:

"John Wick: Chapter 4" – $73.8 million

"John Wick: Chapter 3" – $56.8 million

"John Wick: Chapter 2" – $30.4 million

"Ballerina" – $25 million

"John Wick" – $14.4 million

Globally, "Ballerina" earned an additional $26 million from 81 international markets over its five-day opening, bringing its worldwide total to $51 million. The film hit theaters on June 6.