John Wick Spinoff The Continental Faced Filming Pressure Thanks To Dune 2
In the world of "John Wick," The Continental is a safe refuge for all contractors, a neutral ground that provides much-needed respite and assistance to those belonging to the criminal underworld. Not much is revealed about this mysterious hotel chain, except that its rules need to be upheld no matter what the cost, and certain branches — such as New York and Osaka — are ready to defend this sacred ground until their last breath. This preps the foundation for "The Continental: From the World of John Wick," a "John Wick" spin-off series that delves into how Ian McShane's Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell in the TV series) presided over the New York branch as a young proprietor. This limited series is set to follow an alternate history of the 1970s while incorporating real-world events within the context of the franchise's deep and evolving lore.
Filmmaker Albert Hughes directed the pilot, along with the third episode of the series, and he told Entertainment Weekly about the show's goal, which is to "establish who Winston is at the time and who Charon, his concierge, is at the time before they formed a partnership." There are also a ton of new characters who are introduced into this dark, brooding world, filled with seedy gang rivalries and unchecked criminals who need to be reminded that certain rules exist for a reason.
While talking about a particular action sequence shot outside the production's massive exterior of The Continental Hotel, Hughes explained that he had to speed up and wrap up quicker than he intended to, thanks to the pressure of a soon-to-built "Dune 2" set. Here's what happened.
Desert power
When a young Winston is first introduced in "The Continental", he's busy searching for his missing brother, Frankie (Ben Robson), whom he hasn't spoken to in years. A particular action sequence involves Frankie escaping the hotel and crashing outside into a pile of garbage, while numerous henchmen engage in bombastic action. This sequence was shot in the exterior of the hotel, which was painstakingly built over a long time, prompting Hughes to wait until it was finished, so he could shoot all his scenes in one go. As he finally got time to shoot his scenes from episode 1 along with establishers for the first two episodes, Hughes wanted to take his time getting everything right.
However, the studio was soon due to be used by the production for Denis Villenueve's "Dune: Part Two," and Hughes and his crew had to wrap things up as quickly as possible, as their set would soon be torn down to accommodate another. Hughes recalls this with a laugh:
"Then they're rushing me, they're saying, 'You have to finish this by Monday because 'Dune's coming in to tear this down and build a 'Dune' set!' I'm like, 'Wait a sec, you guys told me to wait, now you're telling me to hurry up!'"
As the world of "Dune" comprises massive vistas of sand and expansive rooms with cavernous space, with sequences that convey sheer scale, it is likely "Dune: Part Two" will continue this trend. The pressure Hughes' felt while finishing up shots for the prequel series is understandable, but hopefully, we can see this translated into frenetic action sequences that signify the delightfully unpredictable "John Wick" universe.
The first episode of "The Continental: From the World of John Wick" is available on Peacock now.