Thanks to a back-end deal and a generous salary, The Matrix 4 has drastically changed Keanu Reeves' net worth. The actor will be returning to the big screen very soon, reprising his role of Neo in the fourth installment of The Matrix franchise as well as the fourth chapter of the John Wick film saga.
The last Matrix film, The Matrix Revolutions, was released 18 years ago, and fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the fourth installment.
Adding Millions to His Fortune Thanks to the Matrix 4 Salary
The franchise has earned $3 billion from all sources, including merchandising, video games, album sales, and box office. According to Observer, "the original trilogy grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide."
Now is a well-known fact that The Matrix 4 spent a lot of money shooting in San Francisco.
Keanu's upfront salary for The Matrix 4 is estimated to be around $12 million to $14 million. There's no doubt that The Matrix 4 budget is more than enough to change Keanu's net worth drastically.
Back-End Deal
Keanu Reeves has amassed a 400 million fortune, and although the technological advancements required for the movie are very expensive, he is getting the amount of money he deserves.
According to Daily Research, "once the film is out, he is entitled to get back-end payment."
The Matrix 4 is currently set for December 2021, so fans will have to wait patiently for a little bit longer. As for the John Wick: Chapter 4 film, the scheduled release is set for May 2022. Both films will undoubtedly be worth the wait, as will Keanu's performance.
Where Everything Started
The end of the 90s brought great change to Keanu's acting career when he landed the role of Neo in The Matrix, the first installment in what eventually became a franchise.
The principal cast underwent months of intense training with martial arts choreographers to prepare for fight scenes. The hard work was worth it because The Matrix was a box office success. Several critics even considered it to be one of the best science fiction films of all time.
The New York Times credited Keanu for being a "strikingly chic Prada model of an action hero," and thought the martial arts stunts were the film's strongest feature. The Matrix received Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing.
A Legend
Keanu himself has been nominated for 28 awards, and he has won 12 to date. His very first win was in 1994 at The Bravo Otto awards for Speed. He took home the best actor award.
At the 1995 MTV Movie Award, Keanu won the best on-screen duo award alongside Sandra Bullock for their work on Speed.
In 2000, The Matrix awards started coming with Keanu winning 'favorite actor' in the science fiction category at The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.
Keanu Reeves' House in Los Angeles
The actor currently lives in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. He owns a fairly modest 8 million home which he bought in 2003. The 5,600-square-foot home features only two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool, and a three-car garage.
It would seem that he lives as modestly as his reactions are to being caught out donating to charities. Nevertheless, this home it's the first place Keanu has actually ever called home.
Before rooting down, the star spent a lot of time living at hotels and rental homes around Los Angeles. He says he wanted to wait around until he found the perfect home.
On the other hand, Keanu is a big motorbike fan and has a reasonably extensive collection consisting of an Arch Motorcycle, a Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide, and a Kawasaki Enduro. Apart from his love of bikes, he also has a Porsche 911, and it can be seen cruising around it quite often.
Personal Life
Although Keanu doesn't like to talk about his painful past, it is a big part of who he is. Hardly five years after the death of his best friend River Phoenix, the actor started a relationship with Jennifer Syme in 1988. The pair fell instantly in love and conceived a child a year later. However, on Christmas eve in 1990, while Keanu was filming The Matrix, the young couple's baby daughter was stillborn.
Sadly, the grief of losing their child was too hard to handle, so they decided to break up. Almost two years later, Jennifer died in a car accident on her way back to a party at Marilyn Manson's home.
In a 2006 interview, Keanu addressed his seemingly never-ending grief by saying, "Grief changes shape, but it never ends."
However, it seems the actor's painful past has only turned him into a more compassionate and empathetic man. Despite all the pain and misfortune he has endured, Keanu has become a kind soul that likes helping others, especially those in need.