Lionsgate ‘s first theatrical stab at spinning off the “John Wick” franchise, the Ana de Armas -led “ Ballerina ,” fired off $10.65 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,409 venues.

The actioner is now pacing a touch behind projections from earlier this week, looking at a debut between $25.5 million and $27.5 million as opposed to forecasts for $28 million. The opening day gross ranks as the second-lowest for the action franchise, falling just below the $10.96 million earned by “John Wick: Chapter 2” back in 2017.

On the one hand, some slowdown is expected for “Ballerina”: a property reset for the R-rated action franchise, with series star Keanu Reeves taking on a smaller supporting role this go-around. On the other, it’s a marked drop-off for “Wick,” which began with

See Full Page