Keanu Reeves has appeared in tons of movies since making his debut in 1986, and a number of them have been huge hits at the box office, with one even grossing as much as a billion dollars. The hugely likable actor has been a major box office draw for decades, first breaking out as a Hollywood star with the sci-fi comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Reeves has since carried films of various other genres, from rom-coms and animated features to horror flicks and dramas, but he’s best known for being an action star.
Not surprisingly, Keanu Reeves’s action movies tend to be among his most successful, with his filmography including such iconic heroes as Neo, John Wick, John Constantine, and Jack Traven — some of these characters he’s played in multiple installments. Well into his career, Reeves continues to pull in crowds with his fight scene skills and penchant for stunt work. However, his highest-grossing movies at the box office have also involved romantic and comedic performances, proving that he’s more versatile than most action stars.
10 Constantine (2005) – $221.6 million
Before Matt Ryan played a live-action version of the character in the Arrowverse, Keanu Reeves portrayed DC’s occult detective and warlock, John Constantine, in the Constantine movie. The plot centers on John as he helps a police officer prove her sister didn’t take her own life. It’s one of the most underrated comic book movies ever made, probably because it was released a decade too early. It would have been better appreciated if it had been released more recently, with comic book fare now dominating Hollywood. Reeves’s portrayal is charismatic, cynical, and serene. Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, and Tilda Swinton provide excellent support. Constantine grossed just over $220 million worldwide.
9 The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) – $237.4 million
A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name — itself based on Harry Bates’s 1940 short story “Farewell to the Master” — The Day the Earth Stood Still stars Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, an alien sent to Earth to convince humanity to change its ways or risk committing ecocide. Reeves’s famous stone face comes in very handy for his impressive performance as the emotionless being. Sadly, the movie’s only positive ingredients are Reeves’s Klaatu, the excellent visual effects, and some respectful references to the original. It is otherwise a subpar movie with an incoherent plot. Still, it grossed a respectable $237 million at the global box office.
8 Something’s Gotta Give (2003) – $266.7 million
The only rom-com that makes it into Keanu Reeves’s top 10 highest-grossing movies is the marvelous Something’s Gotta Give. He stars alongside the brilliant Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Amanda Peet, while the likes of Frances McDormand and Jon Favreau provide excellent support in a top-tier ensemble cast. The film focuses on love blossoming between two aging characters — Nicholson’s Harry Sanborn and Keaton’s Erica Barry — despite the fact they couldn’t be any more different. Reeves plays Julian Mercer, Harry’s doctor and Erica’s brief lover, and he gives a slick performance. Something’s Gotta Give is intelligent and amusing, and its cool worldwide gross was just over $266 million.
7 Speed (1994) – $283.2 million
Along with Point Break three years earlier, Speed helped transform Keanu Reeves into a bona fide action superstar. The high-octane classic focuses on a bus that has to maintain a speed of more than 50 miles per hour, or the terrorist’s bomb attached to it will explode. Reeves plays Los Angeles Police Department bomb disposal officer Jack Traven, who heroically boards the bus and, quite literally, attempts to defuse the situation. The film birthed the fantastic chemistry between Reeves and Sandra Bullock that continued in 2006’s The Lake House, and Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels also play brilliant roles. Speed grossed just over $283 million worldwide.
6 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) – $327.2 million
The third installment in the Keanu Reeves-led John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, maintains the brilliant standards of hard-hitting action, choreography, style, and acting performances that have ensured the series’ immense success. In this one, Reeves’s eponymous character is forced to flee from a brigade of assassins who are looking to cash in on the $14 million bounty placed on his head after he killed a High Table crime lord. Reeves is typically brilliant as Wick and has top support from respected stars like Ian McShane, Halle Berry, and Laurence Fishburne. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum grossed more than $327 million around the world.
5 The Matrix Revolutions (2003) – $427.3 million
The Matrix Revolutions is the third installment in the iconic Matrix sci-fi action franchise. It picks up immediately after The Matrix Reloaded, which was released just six months earlier, as Neo and company continue to fight the infamous computer program Agent Smith and defend the world from a machine invasion. Even with the ever-reliable supporting cast of Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith alongside Keanu Reeves, The Matrix Revolutions is a poor movie and the franchise’s worst. It focuses far too much on special effects at the expense of the plot and is terribly anticlimactic. It still grossed an impressive worldwide total of over $427 million.
4 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) – $432.2 million
John Wick: Chapter 4 is the fourth and most recent installment in the John Wick franchise. In this one, Wick sets out on a revenge mission against the High Table after they left him for dead in the previous movie. The film’s immensely impressive supporting cast includes Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane. Very few movie franchises peak at the fourth attempt, but that’s precisely what happens here. John Wick: Chapter 4 boasts brilliant quotable dialogue, breathtaking fight choreography, and a stunning aesthetic. As the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, it pulled in more than $432 million at the global box office.
3 The Matrix (1999) – $466 million
The Matrix is the brilliant opening installment in the eponymous franchise. The innovative film depicts a dystopian future in which sentient machines operate a simulated reality that houses humans who don’t even realize it exists, as said machines use their bodies as energy sources. Keanu Reeves plays Thomas Anderson, aka Neo, a hacker who uncovers the reality of the situation and joins a rebellion against the machines. Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano brilliantly co-star in memorable roles. The Matrix features groundbreaking special effects and incredible action, and it’s rightly considered one of the finest sci-fi movies ever made. It grossed an admirable $466 million worldwide.
2 The Matrix Reloaded (2003) – $738.6 million
At the time of its release, The Matrix Reloaded was the highly anticipated follow-up to The Matrix, and it didn’t disappoint. The film sees Keanu Reeves’s Neo and his allies continue their fight against the repressive machine forces, unleashing new skills, abilities, and weapons on their foes. The main cast reprise their roles from the previous movie and Jada Pinkett Smith joins them in a critical role. It’s not quite as good as The Matrix, but The Matrix Reloaded is still intelligent, action-packed, and incredibly easy on the eyes. It dwarfed the worldwide gross of its predecessor, pulling in more than $738 million.
1 Toy Story 4 (2019) – $1.073 billion
The highest-grossing Keanu Reeves movie is one he didn’t actually appear in. Toy Story 4 follows Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the Pixar franchise’s other iconic toys as they embark on a road trip in the outside world. They meet Duke Caboom, a Canadian stunt bike action figure voiced by Reeves. He performs wonderfully, fitting in perfectly with the talented voice cast, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, and Jay Hernandez. Toy Story 4 is a charming, funny, and visually gorgeous installment of the Toy Story franchise. Its phenomenal popularity means it grossed over $1 billion, making it the most popular Keanu Reeves movie by far.
