Peacock’s unveiled the first photos from the John Wick prequel The Continental: From the World of John Wick which premieres in September 2023. The three-part event series focuses on the history of The Continental and its involvement in the secret world of assassins, as well as delving into the backstories of Winston Scott and Charon.
Per Peacock: “The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.”
Colin Woodell plays the younger version of Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, and Ayomide Adegun stars as the young Charon, played by Lance Reddick, who sadly passed away right before John Wick: Chapter 4 hit theaters.
The cast also includes Mel Gibson as Cormac, Mishel Prada as KD, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Nhung Kate as Yen, Jessica Allain as Lou, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, and Peter Greene as Young Uncle Charlie. (David Patrick Kelly played Charlie in the first John Wick.)
Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, and Shawn Simmons developed the series and serve as writers and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, Marshall Persinger, and Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. Executive producer Albert Hughes (The Good Lord Bird) directed parts one and three, with Charlotte Brändström (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) directing episode two.
Director/executive producer Albert Hughes’ goal with the three-part event series was to honor the spirit of escapism and excitement from the John Wick films, all while showing fans what he describes as a new “hyper-stylized world.”
“Together executive producer/writer Kirk Ward and I had several goals – to explore the backstories of familiar Wick characters, introduce new and exciting ones, dig deeper into the rules and mythology while expanding the physical scope of The Continental, showing fans areas of the iconic hotel they’ve never seen before. Kirk and I had the time of our lives creating this impressionistic spin on New York in the 70s. Even the soundtrack became a character in itself and reflects all that is American culture – a tapestry of distinct identities and experiences pieced together to create something truly unique,” explained Hughes.
Hughes continued: “Early on in our process, we wrote the words ‘Disco Noir on the wall. It was emblematic of the experience we wanted to create. Music filled our workroom and became the heartbeat of this show as we took turns sharing our favorite tracks from our youth. Each song is more distinct from the next as we come from different worlds, creating a soundtrack featuring the most eclectic mix of needle drops with genres ranging from classic rock, pop, punk, funk, R&B, soul, reggae and disco.”
Basil Iwanyk, producer of all four John Wick films, recalled that they didn’t have high expectations for the first film of the franchise. “Hopes were muted: directed by two ex-stuntmen, and its premise was potentially the goofiest in film history. Keanu avenging a puppy’s death!? We were doomed.
Yet this is why we play the game. It hit a chord that none of us anticipated. Yes, people love Keanu. And the action was awesome. What we didn’t see coming was how much the audience loved the world, its rules, the swagger, the craziness, and the rogue’s gallery of villains and (kinda) good guys. All those roads led to one place, the epicenter and beating heart of the franchise: the hotel called The Continental, led by two of the franchise’s greatest characters, Winston and Charon.
The four Wick films take place over a 3 month span. John is either chasing, or being chased. There has been no time to take a breath, to allow the audience to dig deeper into the world and its denizens. In our show, The Continental, we finally have space to explore these characters, how they became who they are, and how The Continental became the epicenter of this world,” said Iwanyk.
Iwanyk added: “Combine that with introducing new characters that are as compelling as any in the John Wick universe. Action that’s crazy cool and inventive. Easter eggs that will excite the hardcore Wick fans. And what I love the most: a vision of ’70s New York that embodies the sexiness, edginess, and visceral style that the franchise is known for. This show will look/sound/smell cooler than any show out there.
In making the films, we always reminded ourselves, ‘we have no rules, just make it badass.’ We brought that mantra onto The Continental, and I’m proud to say that Albert and Kirk delivered on that promise.”
