John Wick Prequel Series The Continental Casts A Whole Lot Of Assassins
Update: Since this article was originally published, "The Continental" has moved from Starz to Peacock. Our original article follows.
Dust off your gold coins, "John Wick" fans — five new guests are checking into "The Continental." Because no beloved franchise can live on without a spin-off or two, Starz and Lionsgate TV are hard at work creating a limited series based on the safe-haven hotel that plays a major role in Wick's saga. Despite housing all kinds of assassins and hitmen, The Continental has a very strict no-killing rule that makes it a great vacation spot for canine-lovers like John (Keanu Reeves), who need a safe space to stash their pupper. But long before Baba Yaga walked those hotel halls, The Continental was built from the ground up and probably has an epic backstory explaining that establishment. To help us learn exactly where the story begins are the following new cast members, set to star in the prequel series.
Katie McGrath of "Merlin" and "Supergirl" fame has joined "The Continental" as The Adjudicator. She's joined by Ray McKinnon ("Rectify") as Jenkins, Adam Shapiro ("Never Have I Ever") as Lemmy, and Mark Musahi ("Fear of the Walking Dead") and Marina Mazepa ("Malignant") as High Table assassins, Hansel & Gretel. If these characters sound ominous and deadly, don't be too surprised — it may be a spin-off, but this is still the John Wick-verse.
The Cast of The Continental
After many years spent in development, the John Wick TV series is finally on track to hit screens soon. First greenlit in 2018, "The Continental" centers a young version of Ian McShane's Winston Scott, set to be played by Colin Woodell. The series will explore the 1970s origins of the hotel through the eyes of a young Winston, grappling with his past and attempting to seize control of the hotel, a meeting point for the world's most dangerous criminals. Sadly, this means we won't see the likes of McShane or Lance Reddick, reprising their roles as crucial Continental staples. Even though onscreen de-aging tech has advanced to alarming degrees, younger actors are set to play their characters, with Woodell as Winston and Ayomide Adegun as Charon, The Continental concierge.
Jeremy Greene ("Pulp Fiction," "The Bounty Hunter") is set to take on the role of Uncle Charlie, previously played by David Patrick Kelley. You'll remember him as the "cleaner" of dead bodies and crime scenes who first appears after the first extended fight scene at Wick's house. Jeremy Bobb ("The Knick," "Russian Doll") also joins the ranks as a new character known as Mayhew. Unfortunately this promising cast is weighed down by the addition of their bigoted, antisemitic co-star Mel Gibson, who somehow still has a Hollywood career to speak of. Here's how the series has previously been described:
A prequel spinoff, Continental is set 40 years before the events of the Wick series and focuses on a young man named Winston. He will one day grow up to be the character played by Ian McShane in the Wick movies but in the prequel's story is a young man starting as a hitman hotelier who, along with others, create a haven for unsavory types, all set against a backdrop of 1970s New York.
"The Continental" is set to take the BBC Sherlock approach to storytelling — a miniseries with three 90-minute episodes that Starz has dubbed a "three-night special-event." Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward are attached to this three-episode miniseries as writers and showrunners with much of the original crew behind the films credited as executive producers.
"John Wick 4" will be in theaters on May 27, 2022, with "The Continental" expected to air on Starz sometime after.