John Wick’s Blowout Opening Lifts Lions Gate But Won’t Fix Starz

On March 20 the Chinese Theatre along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame lit up for the premiere of John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest installment in the hypersuccessful action film series. Keanu Reeves, who stars as assassin John Wick, mixed with fans and fellow cast members before the opening credits rolled to rapturous applause.

The movie, which opened in thousands of theaters around the world on March 24, would go on to make $138 million in its first weekend, offering a reprieve to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., which has stumbled lately. Despite its library of almost 20,000 titles, ...