The creators of John Wick never expected to have a franchise. The first film was designed to be the directional debut of stunt and second unit directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. But audiences made sure to pour all their love into Keanu Reeves’ smooth assassin character and the world he inhabits.
The fans will be excited to know that there is going to be a streaming series set in the John Wick world. Let’s get into further details and answer all your questions.
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE JOHN WICK TV SERIES THE CONTINENTAL
The new series is called “The Continental”, named after the hotel for assassins featured in the films. Rules at the Continental stipulate that no “work” can be done on Continental grounds (no killing!).
But we all know that John Wick broke the rule in Chapter 2 by killing the man who forced him back into the life. Chapter 3 saw John on the run and New York Continental manager Winston Scott (Ian McShane) facing repercussions for letting him go.
Continental has been in development since Starz first announced the series in 2018.
1. When will “The Continental” be released?
Originally, the prequel series “The Continental” was meant to air on Starz, but along the way, the show went in a different direction, ending with Peacock. It’s expected that the John Wick spin-off will hit the streamer sometime in 2023. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is also scheduled to release in 2023 in theaters.
Interestingly, “The Continental” seems more of a miniseries than a TV show, consisting of three episodes. However, these episodes are movie-length (around 90 minutes a piece) and reportedly have feature-length budgets. Each episode reportedly costs over $20 million.
In other words, it sounds like these episodes will be on par with the John Wick movies, at least regarding visuals. However, we are not sure whether Peacock plans to release the episodes over several weeks or if they will drop them all at once.
2. What is the plot of “The Continental”?
As you can guess from the show’s title, this John Wick spin off-series will focus on the infamous hotel where hitmen spend their downtime. The miniseries will take place in 1975 when New York City was far from the pristine tourist attraction we all know and love today.
We will meet a much younger version of Winston, the character played by Ian McShane in the films. He’s not yet in charge of “The Continental”, but he’s doing everything in his power to take control, all while grappling with his past and dealing with an assortment of colorful crooks and deadly killers.
In regards to these characters that Winston will encounter; Chad Stalhelski promised the show will delve deeper into its underworld background.
Speaking with Fandom, Stalheski said, “The Continental’] is coming at it from different characters’ points of view and what the breadth of the world is actually.”
So, if worldbuilding is one of your favorite elements of the “John Wick” franchise, it looks like you’re going to get plenty of it here.
3. “The Continental” Cast and Crew Details
There is still uncertainty regarding whether any “John Wick” actors will be appearing in “The Continental.” The original Winston actor Ian McShane said he won’t appear in the series. However, some potential voiceovers haven’t been ruled out yet.
As the series is set in 1975, we seriously doubt that we’ll see the likes of Keanu Reeves showing up to play a younger John Wick.
However, “The Continental” does indeed boast an impressive cast.
Here’s the confirmed cast for “The Continental” so far:
- Colin Woodell as young Winston Scott
- Peter Greene as young Uncle Charlie
- Mel Gibson as Cormac
- Nhung Kate as Yen
- Katie McGrath as The Adjudicator
- Jessica Allain as Lou
- Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew
- Adam Shapiro as Lemmy
- Ayomide Adegun as Charon
- Claire Cooper as Mrs. Davenport
- Ray McKinnon as Jenkins
- Ben Robson as Frankie
- Marina Mazepa as Gretel
- Mark Mushashi as Hansel
- Mishel Prada as KD
- Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles
4. Who are the showrunners of “The Continental”? Who is directing “The Continental”?
When it comes to the crew behind this spin-off, the series has been created by Greg Collidge (Ride Along) and Kirk Ward (Wayne). Executive producers include Albert Hughes, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, Shawn Simmons, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, and Marshall Persinger.
Albert Hughes will be directing the first and third episodes (titled “Night One” and “Night Three”). “Night Two,” will be directed by Charlotte Brandstrom who’s directed episodes for both “The Witcher” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”
With these two talented directors bringing their action expertise to the series, we do not doubt that we’ll be enjoying our stay at “The Continental.”
The Continental: John Wick Timeline Explained.
As mentioned, “The Continental” is a prequel set 40 years before the John Wick films, we’ve come to know and love.
Speaking to Deadline, Lionsgate TV’s Kevin Beggs said: “Because we’re way back in time, way back pre-John Wick and even pre-young John Wick, that character is not finding his way into the universe. We are in the John Wick universe, but it’s way back in time. Think about the Game of Thrones prequels because you know any of the players, but you do know the world.”
John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad previously revealed that Keanu’s character was initially meant to be a 75-year-old man.
However, with the character eventually written as a 35-year-old, he won’t have been born by the time of the events of “The Continental”. So, as we said earlier, don’t expect him to feature.
Ultimately, as far as the John Wick timeline is concerned, it’s an origin story of The Continental’s deep history. It’s also an opportunity for Winston and several other characters from the franchise’s origin stories to be explored.
It’s unclear if future seasons will be greenlit if The Continental will remain a miniseries, or how the TV series will tie into John Wick Chapter 4. If it’s even half as successful as the original John Wick film was, however, you can be sure Peacock will renew the prequel show for more installments.
5. About John Wick : Chapter 4
John Wick 4 is an American neo-noir action thriller film and the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise. The franchise is created by Derek Kolstad and stars Keanu Reeves in the role of a retired legendary hitman John Wick.
John Wick must avoid run-ins with The High Table and survive long enough to complete his mission, along with the help of The Bowery King, who was left for dead by The High Table and now is helping John Wick take them down.
John Wick 4 released on March 24, 2023.
No Comments on Everything We Know About John Wick TV Series “The Continental”