John Wick has become an unparalleled phenomenon in today’s cinema. Beyond the big franchises like Marvel, Star Wars or Jurassic Park, which continue to explore their universes with new movies, series and others, this saga starring Keanu Reeves has managed to establish itself as a great action IP without making much noise.
So much so that John Wick 4 has been one of the best releases of the year, and there is already talk of the fifth installment and Ballerina, the film starring Ana de Armas, which will serve to continue exploiting the potential of the world of John Wick. But there is another spin-off coming soon that could lay the groundwork for the future of the saga: The Continental.
Amazon Prime Video has revealed the trailer for The Continental, the series that will continue to open up the John Wick universe through the hotel where the world’s top assassins stay. Without a doubt, it looks as spectacular as it could be:
What will The Continental be about?
The Continental is a miniseries that will serve as a prequel to the franchise and will be produced by Star+. But, although Star+ is part of Disney+, the international rights to the series have been sold to Amazon Prime Video, so we will be able to watch it through this platform.
The plot of the series will revolve around the hotel that houses and harbors the saga’s assassins. We could already see it in depth during the third part, and now we will explore it further through the international network that is around The Continental. Still, the series will not follow the current regent played by Halle Berry, but by the previous one of Ian McShane’s character.
Thus, the prequel will follow Winston Scott four decades before the series. Its official synopsis revealed makes us much clearer where the shots of this fiction will go:
“The story of the hotel will be told through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott (the character played by Ian McShane in the main installments). Colin Woodell will this time step into Scott’s shoes as he is swept into the hellish landscape of 1970s New York, where he will have to confront his past with those he thought he had left behind. Winston will make a deadly breakthrough and take over that harrowing underworld that would end up being his future throne.”
How many episodes will The Continental have?
Despite the fact that the story of John Wick‘s hotel has a lot to tell, the creators of John Wick have decided that this series will comprise only three episodes. It is, therefore, a miniseries that will explore three specific moments of the hotel and how it has evolved over the years.
This format is typical of series like Sherlock or Netflix‘s Dracula, both by Steven Moffat. It’s a way of constructing an untypical series, but one that works perfectly when it comes to anthology plots, treating each episode as if it were a standalone movie. From the looks of it, The Continental will follow this idea, as advocated by creator Chad Stahelski:
“It has a really good structure. It’s very tied to the movie, and it tells the story of the Continentals around the world, how some people enter this world and what happens to them in doing so, which is great. I think it’s a huge world, and everything I’ve heard about it is very positive.”
When does The Continental premiere?
The Continental is scheduled for release in September 2023. That is, after the summer we will be able to learn more about John Wick’s intrahistory. In Spain it will be released through Amazon Prime Video, although this will not be the case in the United States.
Ballerina: the other spin-off of John Wick
Beyond The Continental, the release date for Ballerina has also been announced: June 7th, 2024. Ballerina will tell the story of an assassin from the world of John Wick who comes from a very different background than Keanu Reeves’ character. The lead role will be played by Ana de Armas, and Reeves himself will make an appearance. The film’s screenwriters have spoken about it:
“The movie will introduce a character who has undergone a training similar to John Wick’s, but in Anjelica Huston’s dance academy that we saw in the third film. We will become part of a new type of community that also operates in the shadows and is really unrelated to what we’ve seen in the previous films of the saga.”
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