Looking at how the actor’s popularity only increases on an annual basis, the thought of a big budget R-rated supernatural comic book adaptation with action, mystery and horror elements starring Keanu Reeves in the lead role sounds like a slam dunk on paper.
That’s not to say that Francis Lawrence’s Constantine was a disaster, when a box office haul of $203 million on a budget said to be hovering around the $100 million mark was a respectable return, but it didn’t go on to launch the franchise that Warner Bros. were surely expecting.
The purists were furious that Reeves bore absolutely no resemblance to his counterpart on the printed page, while critics only deemed Constantine worthy of a 46% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, over 25,000 fans have decided it merits a 72% user rating, and it’s long since become a firm cult classic.
Reeves admitted very recently that he’d love to play the role again, which is definitely something that the studio should be looking into in an effort to actively make it happen. Until that day does or doesn’t come, though, Constantine can be found putting a dent in the Netflix most-watched list as per FlixPatrol, where it’s heading towards the Top 20.