This article is written in partnership with Prime Video
After turning into the prominent action franchise of the last decade and grossing more than $1 billion at the box office, the John Wick franchise is expanding its horizons in the form of The Continental, a prequel series launching on Prime Video on Sept. 22. It is set in the ’70s New York and centers around the titular hotel sitting at the heart of the criminal underworld.
The enigmatic world of modern hitmen was always one of the most fascinating things about John Wick. Sure, we love it when Keanu Reeves dashes from corridor to corridor leaving death in his wake, but whenever there’s mention of The Continental’s inner workings, the High Table, or how the underground society generally functions, everyone ears perk up, and an eagerness to learn more emerges.
The Continental, an invigorating new take on the John Wick formula
This new entry takes audiences to a different world from the one they know in the modern Wick era. New York was accustomed to a unique class of criminal in the ’70s, and The Continental certainly depicts that by going all out on the intrigue.
Split into three episodes, The Continental will see Winston get embroiled in a fight after his estranged brother Frankie steals something from the then-owner of the hotel, Cormac. Besides Winston, Charon, and this newcomer Cormac, there’ll be a ton of unfamiliar faces, but don’t let that fool you into thinking The Continental is anything other than being… well, about The Continental.
“The Continental itself is essentially the main character of our show,” says showrunner Kirk Ward, and based on what we’ve seen so far, he really means it.
The Continental as a character
John Wick fans will want to tune in to watch The Continental not just for another bout of epic action, but because it will greatly expand on the mythology. The series will give the location a life of its own.
“It’s an odd-shaped building,” Ward continues to explain. “It’s a triangle that doesn’t look very big, but you have to make it feel ominous. And that’s what’s interesting about The Continental when you watch the movies and when you watch our series; all that stuff really fits in that building. And that’s the mystical quality of The Continental.”
Few works even recognize their setting as a character unto itself, but ironically, that’s what defines the visual medium to a large degree. You’re sacrificing internal monologues and flowery descriptions otherwise found in the text in favor of an aesthetic, and if that aesthetic fails to come through for the viewers, then what even is the point of depicting it on film? The Continental has always been a part of the John Wick universe, and now, it’s going to truly find its place in this ever-growing lore.
But there’s nothing to fear for audiences who have not made themselves familiar with the place, plot and main character of John Wick. “It’s escapism, it’s a parallel world. It has its own rules, its own sound, its own colors. And nothing about it is steeped in hardcore reality. It’s there for the audience to have fun,” said director Albert Hughes of the series.
The Continental as a character is one that you’ll get to know and appreciate as you enter its realms.
The action remains a key component
The crew knew from the get-go that The Continental had to incorporate the one and only staple of the franchise — the action and choreography — without relying on a killing machine like John Wick. Fortunately, director Stahelski had the perfect piece of advice for them.
“When we first sat down with Chad Stahelski to pitch him our take on this, he said, ‘Remember, action is a character. And so we really thought about that – how do we make these characters all have a unique fighting style, and how do we bring that character out to make this action compelling, and how do we do it for television?”
What’s more, The Continental brought back the choreographers from the main series, so all of this is subtly paying homage to Keanu Reeves and his fighting sequences — which, admittedly, comprise the better part of those four films.
And there, complementing the action, will be a major element that kick-started this whole story. As executive producer Erica Lee explains it:
“Fans will get a diverse, interesting, well-rounded cast of characters and lots of kickass action. There will be dogs. Dogs are inherent and super important to the John Wick universe, so we are figuring out right now how to implement more into the TV series.”
We can at least put our worries to rest in that regard. But what of the characters themselves, and the actors who have come onboard to portray them?
Meet the cast
Winston, Charon, and Cormac will take center stage in The Continental. The producers had to find someone who could bring the same level of depth to Winston as Ian McShane did in the original series, and enlisting The Purge star Colin Woodell felt like a natural choice.
“There was just something about Colin. He has this timeless quality to him and he looks like a movie star,” reveals Ward. “I remember the day we did a camera test. Albert (Hughes, director of episodes 1-3) and I were looking through the monitor, like, ‘This guy is a movie star.’ And it’s those eyes. When you look at Ian McShane’s eyes, there’s this depth and sadness—there’s a big story in those eyes.”
As for his loyal sidekick Charon — the character who has been immortalized thanks to the late Lance Reddick’s timeless performance — Nigerian actor Ayomide Adegun is bringing the badass concierge, or rather his younger version, to life on the small screen.
This might feel like the most challenging part to live up to, and Ayomide has certainly taken a lot of cues from Reddick.
“Lance Reddick’s performance definitely inspired me,” he says. “I think he was a great guy and actor. I’ve tried to see it from two perspectives. I could either see it as loads of pressure on me and crumble under that, or trust that my interpretation of the character will align with Lance Reddick’s portrayal of Charon.”
There’s just something about Charon that turns him into such a compelling presence within the Continental, so we can’t wait to see what Ayomide has done with this younger incarnation, or how he and Winston will form a bond.
Joining Woodell and Adegun on this three-part journey will be a host of actors including Ben Robson as Frankie Scott (Winston’s older brother), Nhung Kate as Frankie’s wife Yen, Jessica Allain as Lou the martial artist, and Katie McGrath as The Adjudicator, an official representing the High Table.
“Fans will get a diverse, interesting, well-rounded cast of characters and lots of kickass action,” says Erica Lee, perfectly capturing what the series has in store for fans in a sentence.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick launches on Prime Video on Sep. 22. Start your 30-day free trial today.