John Wick‘s first spin-off is coming very soon. The Continental is a three-part television event that’s set in the early days of the Continental. Instead of focusing on the early days of Mr. Wick himself, the upcoming series will follow the perspective of Winston – which will be played by Colin Woodell. Below is the official synopsis:
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.
As great as it would be to see Keanu Reeves in the new series, the actor will not reprise his role in the mini-series. However, Ayomide Adegun (young Charon), Peter Greene, Mel Gibson, Ben Robson, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jessica Allain, Mishel Prada, and Nhung Kate are the main cast. The Continental is scheduled to premiere on September 22, 2023. Here are the top five moments of the latest trailer.
Your Brother Stole Something From Me
Say what you will about Mel Gibson, but there’s no denying that he’s a compelling presence onscreen. To see him play an antagonist in the upcoming three-part series is surely a fun sight to see. However, the key factor is Winston, and the fact that we’ll get to understand his character outside of the continental is certainly intriguing.
Winston was always a strong side character in the films, so it’ll be fun to dive deeper into his backstory in the mini-series. The first few seconds of the trailer feel more like an ode to the original character. The scene with Mel Gibson nicely explains the stakes of the story that has endless possibilities.
The Stairwell Action Sequence
Let’s be honest, there’s no way that this series can be a hit without amazing action sequences. Though John Wick won’t be in the mini-event, the spirit of the franchise must remain intact. It’s going to be incredibly hard to top some of the most incredible fights in the films. However, all The Continental has to do is recreate some of the magic that made its precessors such a huge hit.
The fluid camera movement. No obvious edits or cuts. And more importantly, action sequences that you can see from beginning to end. The brief scene on the stairway nicely presented what’s to come and it does appear that The Continental will maintain the style of John Wick. That is a win for every fan of the series.
Every Freak In That Hotel Will Be After Us
Other than young Winston and Charon, seeing the different faces that inhabit the world of John Wick is intriguing. John Wick isn’t just a great film because of the amazing fight scenes. It has layers of distinct characters that make the world feel lively. John isn’t the same as Winston. Or Bowery. Or Caine. The brief montage of different assassins showcases the variety of styles that the upcoming series will display. Hopefully, these new characters are as colorful and lively as their film counterpart.
The Action Montage
The rumored budget for The Continental is $60 million. It’s such an incredible feat that the series has crisp, clean, action that seemingly represents the brand well. The display of different fights highlights the uniqueness of each character and brings an edge-of-your-seat excitement that the series should have.
Obviously, Winston is not dying. However, the mystery regarding these new characters erases the predictability and allows the writers to truly craft a strong action series because the fates of these characters are unclear. It’s great that the series doesn’t hold back on the action. That’s John Wick’s bread and butter, and it would be a shame if it featured barely any.
The Silver Coin
In addition to gathering more information about Winston, hopefully, the series sheds more light on the continental itself and the trademark things like the coins used throughout the films. It doesn’t have to go deep into history, but it would be fun to understand how this institution was founded and how certain things came to fruition.
