The John Wick Knock-Off On Streaming So Blatant Everyone Thought It Was A Spin-Off
The John Wick spin-off The Continental recently dropped its first episode, and the series focuses on the highly intriguing underground hotel chain for assassins and the people who helped make it what it is. It’s not surprising that the spin-off series is based on these enticing locations, considering the Continental and its lore undoubtedly help to elevate the John Wick franchise.
So, it’s not surprising that the film Hotel Artemis, which is now streaming on Max and which many people mistook for a John Wick spin-off, caught people’s attention with its initial marketing campaign.
Hotel Artemis, currently streaming on Max, is a dystopian future action movie with more than a passing resemblance to John Wick.
Once you watch Hotel Artemis, you’ll realize that it does tell quite a different story than the John Wick franchise, but the titular hotel certainly has familiar echoes that brought the latter franchise to mind. Specifically, the hotel is a secret hospital, among other things, for criminals. With John Wick: Chapter 2 coming out just a year before and focusing more on the Continental, many people called out Hotel Artemis for being a bit of a rip-off.
Much like the John Wick franchise, Hotel Artemis also called on a spectacular cast that included Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto, and Jeff Goldblum. The film was the first feature directorial effort of Drew Pearce, who also wrote the script. While the movie got mixed reviews, it was praised for its unique visual style and the performance of its dynamite cast.
It’s hard to blame Hotel Artemis‘ marketing efforts for riding the wave of John Wick a little bit, considering the franchise was quickly becoming one of the most revered action franchises of all time.
Now that Hotel Artemis has had some years to breathe, it’s a good idea not to go into the film expecting a John Wick-like movie. Sure, it definitely has some elements that seem inspired by Keanu Reeves‘ massive franchise, but it does do its own thing. If you’re looking for a futuristic action movie with a lot of intrigue, you’ll probably like the film and watch it.
It’s hard to blame Hotel Artemis‘ marketing efforts for riding the wave of John Wick a little bit, considering the franchise was quickly becoming one of the most revered action franchises of all time. The franchise has only continued to cement its legacy with two additional sequels and a film from the same team called Nobody that similarly had thriller fans glued to their seats. The franchise is continuing to go full steam ahead with the aforementioned The Continental TV series and the upcoming Ana de Armas-starring spin-off Ballerina.
Of course, Hotel Artemis wasn’t nearly as successful as the John Wick franchise, only grossing $13 million against a $15 million budget. Wick only got more successful over time, while Hotel Artemis likely won’t get any more content soon. When a film can’t make up a $15 million budget, you can almost guarantee we won’t be seeing a sequel anytime soon.
However, that doesn’t mean Hotel Artemis isn’t worth checking out. As mentioned, the film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, so there’s a good chance you may actually end up liking it — especially if you don’t go into the film expecting a John Wick-style movie. The film is especially worth checking out for Jodie Foster’s performance, which was widely praised for being one of the movie’s best parts.
Of course, Hotel Artemis wasn’t nearly as successful as the John Wick franchise, only grossing $13 million against a $15 million budget.
Unlike the John Wick franchise, Hotel Artemis has a unique setting outside of the hotel, as it takes place in a futuristic version of Los Angeles. Foster’s character starts her hospital/hotel in the midst of this dystopian future and gives it similar rules to the Continental, including the rules of no weapons and no killing of guests. Plus, it’s always fun seeing an eclectic cast of top-tier actors playing criminals and assassins of various kinds.
If you check out Hotel Artemis on Max, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you find. Of course, if you are wanting something more in the vein of John Wick, you can always hop over to Peacock to check out the new show The Continental and dive back into that ever-expanding universe. You can also revisit the John Wick films again, or you can look forward to the upcoming spin-off Ballerina, which is set to hit screens on June 7, 2024.
