John Wick Universe Expands With ‘The Continental’– Cast Announced
The team behind the John Wick movies is taking the mercenary-filled universe to the small screen with Mel Gibson.
The writing team behind the John Wick films Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad planned to create a series before John Wick: Chapter 2 hit theaters, but it’s been waylaid several times since. The pair have been working on bringing the series to air for several years and are finally getting a cast together.
The Continental is written and run by Chris Collins, who worked on Sons of Anarchy and The Wire. The executive producer list is filled with Wick alumni, including Stahelski, Kolstad, Basil Iwanyk, and David Leitch.
The Cast
The cast is led by Colin Woodell as young Winston Scott (who is played by Ian McShane in the movies) and includes Mel Gibson, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jessica Allain, Mishel Prada, Nhung Kate, Ben Robson. I’m sure we’ll be getting more names as production moves forward – I’m expecting some one off cameos.
The Featured Characters
The show will focus on the neutral grounds of the world, like the hotel chain where business is conducted. There, mercenaries can get a little shut-eye without worrying about getting assassinated. Well, unless you’re John Wick.
It will tell the stories of the world before Wick came onto the scene– the staff, the clientele, the marks. Wick is not the titular character here. Producer Chad Stahelski told Indiewire:
“I like telling stories from my one character’s perspective. Once you put that aside with the TV show, [you can] expand to all the different characters and follow them throughout their journey. You can be with the consigliere, concierge, the sommelier — you can be with all these different characters and walk through the world in different aspects; ones that I’m a little limited [from exploring] by staying with my lead guy.”
We’ll be seeing more of the people that keep the universe working, like tailors and armorers.
Courtesy of Lionsgate
From Film to Series
Stahelski is also hoping to get some Game of Thrones level action into the series, but with John Wick‘s style. He’s got more than a decade of stunt work under his belt, which can be seen in the movies. I’m hoping he leans into that– this show needs to keep with the hard-hitting style of the movies.
While the trio of Wick movies has a ton of action, none of them have cost as much as most modern blockbusters– part one cost a mere $20 million. What sets them apart is not amazing CG or vast location shots, it’s amazing stunt work and world-building.
This should make translating the franchise to the small screen easier. Hopefully the show will stick with what the movies have excelled. If the stories that make sense for the universe, then this show will be fantastic. I’m looking forward to tuning in.
‘The Continental’ is slated to debut on Starz at some point in 2022.
Courtesy of Lionsgate
