The Continental on Peacock: everything we know so far
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Important information
– Expected launch on Peacock in 2023
– Prequel Series to John Wick Movie Franchise
– First season consists of three 90-minute episodes
– Focuses on the young version of Ian McShane’s Winston
– Thought to be playing in the 9170s
– Chris Collins acts as showrunner
– Keanu Reeves among the show’s executive producers
The Continental hotel will soon reopen its doors to fans of the favorite John Wick film series. The franchise, which stars beloved actor Keanu Reeves as the iconic hit man who left retirement in search of revenge, was only intended as one film. Still, the John Wick universe now has three chapters, with two more to come. Not only that, but we’re also getting a John Wick prequel TV series, tentatively titled The Continental, coming to Peacock, NBC Universal’s streaming platform.
The Continental is a franchise base; a hotel chain around the world that provides neutral territory for members of the criminal underworld, such as killers like Wick, to conduct business or hide from authorities. When you stay at The Continental, you have to abide by the rules. Although, we know the man himself didn’t follow them in John Wick Chapter 2 – but let’s not get into that now.
Below, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about The Continental, including its potential release date, cast, plot details, and more. Major spoilers are coming for the John Wick franchiseso return if you haven’t caught up with the three movies.
The continental release date
There is no official release date for The Continental yet. However, the highly anticipated TV series has been confirmed for release on Peacock in 2023. The series will also launch on Prime Video in non-US regions (as per Deadline (opens in new tab)) except Israel and the Middle East.
The show has been in the works since 2018 when Starz thrilled fans by announcing its existence. Now, however, The Continental has found a new home on Peacock – Lionsgate is selling the rights to that streamer after it felt Starz wasn’t the right choice.
According to Deadline (opens in new tab), follows the show’s arrival at the theatrical launch of John Wick: Chapter Four. If that’s true, The Continental will launch on Peacock in mid to late 2023. Plus, The Continental will feature three 90-minute episodes, so for now, watch it as a limited series, rather than a full-length TV show.
The continental 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 Yeno
- Katie McGrath as the judge
- 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 KDO
- Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles
Since The Continental is a prequel, Keanu Reeves will not appear in the series on the small screen. So, for those of you hoping for a John Wick cameo, you’ll be very disappointed.
The Continental reportedly takes place in 1975, meaning both current hotel owner Winston and his trusted concierge Charon will be played by younger actors, Colin Woodell and Ayomide Adegun, rather than Ian MacShane and Lance Reddick portraying that duo.
Another of the show’s biggest announcements is the involvement of Mel Gibson who will play a character named Cormac. Gibson’s original character isn’t someone we’ve seen in the John Wick series yet, so his role is a mystery at this point.
When it comes to the crew behind this spin-off, the series was created by Greg Collidge (Wayne, 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 Marshal Persinger.
Hughes will also take the director’s chair for the first and third installments, with Charlotte Brändström (The Rings of Power) heading the second.
The continental conspiracy
While The Continental is a prequel series, it’s also a brand new spin-off of the usual story that instead focuses on a young Winston, the owner of the New York City hotel residence. However, the intricacies of the plot itself are kept tightly under lock and key.
In an interview with Deadline (opens in new tab)Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs revealed some details of the story, saying: “What we’re investigating at The Continental is young Winston and how it came to be that he and his team of allies found their way into this hotel, which we’ve seen together. years later in the movie franchise.”
The Continental is the centerpiece of the John Wick universe, providing a place of solace for those under the command of the High Table. According to the show’s description, the series follows Winston as he “charts a deadly course through New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to capture the iconic hotel”. Sounds ominous.
Interestingly, The Continental will investigate real-world events, including the Great Garbage Strike and the rise of the American mafia. Despite being a fictional work, it appears that the series will draw heavily from or be inspired by true events.
Speak with fandom (opens in new tab) in 2020, Chad Stahelski, stuntman turned director of the John Wick franchise, said: “The angles they’re currently working on on The Continental TV show is a different perspective on the whole world. It’s coming from different characters’ perspectives. and what the breadth of the world actually is. While in John Wick I follow one period of time, literally almost a week in the life of one man, where everything gets out of hand.”
What’s clear is that a whole new cast will take John Wick’s story in a whole new direction – we just don’t know what that will be. Given its position in the timeline, as well as its alternate focus on one of John Wick’s most famous side characters, aka Winston, who deserves a storyline in its own right, we’re sure it’s going to be a thrilling ride anyway.
The continental trailer
There is no official trailer for The Continental. However, given the 2023 launch date, we don’t think a trailer is too far off. We will update this section as soon as one is released.
The Continental: John Wick timeline explained
As mentioned, The Continental is a prequel set 40 years before the John Wick movies we’ve come to know and love. Speak with Deadline (opens in new tab)Lionsgate TV’s Kevin Beggs said, “Because we’re way back in time, way back in time before John Wick and even pre-young John Wick, that character isn’t making its way into the universe. We’re in the John Wick universe , but it’s way back in time. Think of the Game of Thrones prequels, because you know all the players, but you know the world.”
Given John Wick, screenwriter Derek Kolstad previously revealed that Keanu’s character was initially intended to be a 75-year-old man (per Variety (opens in new tab)), we could have seen Wick appear in some guise. However, with the character ultimately 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 before, don’t expect him to show up.
Ultimately, as far as the John Wick timeline goes, 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 original stories to explore and perhaps give a more detailed look at how their characters got into the John Wick mythos.
It’s unclear whether future seasons will be green-lit, whether The Continental will remain a miniseries, or how the TV series will tie in with John Wick Chapter 4. If it’s even half as successful as the original John Wick movie, you could rest assured Peacock will refresh the prequel show for more episodes.
For more Peacock-based content, find out how much a Peacock subscription costs or read our Peacock review. Or check out what we thought of Peacock’s Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot.