The John Wick effect was felt at the Italian box-office for the week ending March 26: the 4^th installment of the Chad Stahelski’s action extravaganza with Keanu Reeves in the title role grossed € 2.093,876, helping the domestic business to a 16% increase compared to the previous week. The percentage increases by 86% if compared to the same week in 2022. Though business is still 32% below average compared to the three years pre-pandemic period, cinema attendance in Italy is slowly but surely on the uptick.

Following John Wick 4 are the Italian action-thriller L’ultima notte d’amore, directed by Andrea Di Stefano, with Italian superstar Pierfrancesco Favino, and David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods, respectively in second and third place at the Italian box-office, with € 162,266 (and a total of € 2.564,780 since its release three weeks ago), and € 142,128 (tot. € 1.375,970).

Another Italian production, Stranizza d’amuri [strangeness of love], which marks beloved Italian actor Giuseppe Fiorello’s directorial debut, performed well in its first weekend in theaters with € 196,199. The film, whose title is a song by the great, late Sicilian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato (the song is featured in the movie), is set in 1982 rural Sicily and tells a story of a beautiful friendship and gay love.

Another Italian new entry, Il viaggio leggendario [legendary journey] is in fourth place with a gross of € 326,154. Directed by Alessio Liguori, it’s a comedy featuring two Italian Youtubers called DinsiemE, and it’s based on their children book, also titled “DinsiemE”.  Unlike Hollywood, it can be called an atypical event in Italy, a film for young audiences that is, but it was well received. 

Speaking of Hollywood, U.S. features held well at the Italian box office with Academy Award big winner Everything Everywhere All at Once still doing good business with a weekly gross of € 108,295 and a total of € 2.177,660, and Darren Aronofsky‘s The Whale, with Brendan Fraser (€ 70,888, tot. € 3.108,666).

Rounding up the Italian box-office top 10 are the British musical Louis Tomlinson: All Those Voices, Creed III and Mummies.

Upcoming in Italian theaters the next few weeks are Ben Affleck‘s Air, Warner Bros’ sci-fi/thriller 65 by Scott Beck with Adam Driver, and the animated Super Mario Bros – The Movie.

Following is the complete Top 10, with grosses results (week-end and total) provided by Cinetel:

1.             JOHN WICK 4: € 623,520, tot. € 2.093,876

2.             L’ULTIMA NOTTE DI AMORE: € 162,266, tot. € 2.564,780

3.             SHAZAM! FURIA DEGLI DEI: € 142,128, tot. € 1.375,970

4.             IL VIAGGIO LEGGENDARIO: € 136,668, tot. € 326,154

5.             EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: € 108,295, tot. € 2.177,660

6.             LOUIS TOMLINSON: ALL OF THOSE VOICES: € 90,501, tot. € 341,324

7.             STRANIZZA D’AMURI: € 81,323, tot. € 196,199

8.             CREED III: € 71,574, tot. € 6.645,212

9.             THE WHALE: € 70,888, tot. € 3.108,666

10.          MUMMIE – A SPASSO NEL TEMPO: € 58,970, tot. € 2.068,719