If you’ve watched every Matrix and John Wick movie, you may want to know Keanu Reeves’ net worth to know which franchise makes him more money. (Spoiler: There’s a massive difference between what he makes for The Matrix movies and the John Wick films.)
Reeves, whose full name is Keanu Charles Reeves, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 2, 1964. After his parent’ divorce in 1966, Reeves’ mother, Patricia, moved his family to Sydney, Australia. The family then moved to New York City, where Reeves’ mother married Paul Aaron, a director. The couple moved with Reeves and his family to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1970 before divorcing a year later. While in Toronto, where Reeves started acting in a theatre production of Damn Yankees. Reeves also stayed close with Aaron who recommended him for a job at Hedgerow Theater in Pennsylvania.
In 1984, Reeves made his television debut in an episode of the TV show, Hangin’. He went on to star in local theatre productions like Romeo and Juliet and in commercials for brands like Coca-Cola before his first movie, Youngblood, in 1986. Reeves’ success continued with roles in movies like 1991’s Point Break and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey before his first major commercial blockbuster with 1994’s Speed. In 1999, Reeves made his debut as Neo in his first Matrix movie. He went on to star in three more Matrix movies: The Matrix, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, and 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.
In 2014, almost a decade after the third Matrix movie, Reeves returned to the action film genre with John Wick, which has since released three movies and is set to develop three more. In a Reddit post in 2014, Reeves talked about what his dreams have taught him. “I think sometimes – our dreams can teach us, instruct us, confuse us… sometimes I think they look to be considered,” he wrote. “And in terms of like, they are an opportunity and I think they most certainly could be utilized to focus, to try and achieve–whether it’s looking for someone, or influencing us, or inspiring us.”
He also talked about the time he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting when he was 20 years old and how managed to make friends without knowing anyone. “I saw some guys at a gas station once who had hockey equipment in their car, and I asked them what they were doing, and they said they were playing street hockey, so I asked them if I could play,” he wrote. “So I became involved in a street hockey game that took place every weekend for over 10 years, every weekend, red versus black. We would take holidays off and sometimes summers, but the game was going on for over 10 years.”
So what is Keanu Reeves’ net worth and how much does he make for The Matrix and John Wick movies? Read on for Keanu Reeves’ net worth which action franchise has made him more money.
What does Keanu Reeves make for The Matrix?
Image: Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection.
Keanu Reeves has starred in four films in The Matrix franchise: 1999’s The Matrix, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, and 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections. He plays Neo/Thomas A. Anderson (a.k.a. The One), the protagonist of the The Matrix franchise and a cybercriminal and computer programmer. The movies follow Neo—along with Trinity and Morpheus—as they try to free humanity from the Matrix, a virtual reality system, where humans are armed as a power source for artificial intelligence that have evolved into self-aware machines.
So what does Keanu Reeves make for The Matrix movies? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Reeves made $10 million for the first Matrix movie after Will Smith turned down the part of Neo. He also received a cut of the Matrix‘s box office gross for a total of $35 million earned from the first movie—around $53 million today after inflation—which means that he earned around $25 million from his back-end cut alone. The Matrix made $171.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $292 million worldwide. In total the movie grossed $466.5 million, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of that year.
Reeves’ exact salaries for The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions aren’t confirmed, but according to Celebrity Net Worth, he also received a cut of both sequels’ box office grosses for a total of $120 million in bonuses from both movies. In total, Celebrity Net Worth reports that Reeves made more than $200 million for both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, which means that his salary as an actor for both films (minus his cut of the box office grosses) was around $80 million. As for how much the sequels made, The Matrix Reloaded—which was the highest-grossing Matrix movie—made $281.6 million in the United States and Canada, with a total gross of $741.8 million worldwide. The Matrix Revolutions, on the other hand, made $139 million in the United States and Canada, with a total gross of $427 million worldwide.
As for The Matrix Resurrections, Reeves made between $12 million to $14 million for the fourth Matrix movie, along with a cut of the film’s box office gross. The salary is less than what he made from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions but still more than what he made for The Matrix. In total, Reeves has made around $249 million from The Matrix, not including his cut for the box office gross of The Matrix Resurrections.
What does Keanu Reeves make for John Wick?
Image: Summit Entertainment / courtesy Everett Collection.
Keanu Reeves has starred in three John Wick movies: 2014’s John Wick, 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4. He’s also set to star in two more John Wick movies: John Wick: Chapter 5 and Ballerina, which are in development. In the John Wick movies, Reeves stars as John Wick, a former hitman, who, in a quest for vengeance, comes out of retirement. The movie follows John, who was born as Jardani Jovonovich in Belarus, and how his childhood as an orphan led to his adoption by the Tarasov Russian Mafia , where he was raised as an assassin. The first John Wick movie sees Wick come out of retirement from the mafia to fight a familiar foe.
How much does Keanu Reeves make from the John Wick movies? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reeves made between $1 to $2 million for the first John Wick movie, and between $2 million to $2.5 million for John Wick: Chapter 2. The magazine also reports that Reeves has an ownership stake in the John Wick franchise, which gives him a percentage of the movies’ box office grosses, as well as other benefits if the film does well. Reeves’ salary for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s clear that what he makes for the John Wick movies doesn’t compare to what he made for The Matrix films.
How much is Keanu Reeves’ net worth?
Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP.
What is Keanu Reeves net worth? Reeves is worth $380 million, which includes the $249-plus million he made from the Matrix movies and the couple million dollars he’s earned John Wick films. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Reeves also made $3,000 for his first movie, Youngblood, in 1986. The site also reports that he made $1.2 million for 1994’s Speed, co-starring Sandra Bullock, which is around $2 million after inflation. Per Celebrity Net Worth, Reeves also turned down $11 million to reprise his role in Speed‘s sequel, 1997’s Speed 2: Cruise Control, because he was touring with his band, Dogstar, at the time. Reeves’ other salaries include $2 million for 1995’s Johnny Mnemonic and $8 million 1997’s The Devil’s Advocate.
In an interview with The Chicago Tribune in 2003, Reeves explained why money often isn’t a care for him. “Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I’ve already made for the next few centuries,” he said. Reeves is also known for giving back on the set of his movies. In an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Reeves revealed that he gave a set builder on The Matrix a Christmas bonus of $20,000 because he heard the crew member was having family struggles. The newspaper also reported that Reeves gave a brand new Harley Davidson on to each person on the stunt crew of The Matrix Reloaded, which equalled to around $7,000 to $40,000 per motorcycle for 12 people. “We were all in this thing, and we were training together beforehand. I just wanted to give a bigger thank-you to all these guys who helped me make this, I think, one of the great movie fights in the history of cinema,” he said.
Reeves also told Hollywood.com in 2006 about how much doesn’t mean much to him, which is why he often donates what he makes from movies to charity. “Money doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve made a lot of money but I want to enjoy life and not stress myself building my bank account,” he said. “I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important.” Reeves also told the site at the time that he tried to avoid technology as much as he can. “My friends have computers, so I can ask them to do something for me if I need to,” he said. “Letters are something from you. It’s a different kind of intention than writing an e-mail.”
In a 2001 profile by The Wall Street Journal, Reeves was described as someone who “doesn’t always seem motivated by money.” The newspaper also reported that Reeves has “literally handed over part of his salary to other actors or crew” on “several films.” One example was 1996’s The Devil’s Advocate, where Reeves offered to slash his salary after his co-star Al Pacino asked for more money. He did the same for Gene Hackman in 2000’s The Replacements. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Reeves gave part of his “back-end points” for The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions to support the visual effects and costume departments of the movies.
The Matrix Resurrections is available to stream on HBO Max. Here’s how to watch it for free.
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