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TheJohn Wickfranchise starring Keanu Reeves blew the minds of the fans of the action genre right from the very first film. Producer Basil Iwanyk calls it an“accidental franchise”because no one could have predicted the franchise’s eventual success. Today, theJohn Wickmovies stand amongst some of the most beautiful films to have come out of the genre.
And now, the franchise is ready for its new project,The Continental: From the World of John Wick.The drama miniseries will not star see Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and will instead focus on how Winston Scott came into position as the owner of The Continental chain of hotels. This role was played by actor Ian McShane in the films, who got on board thanks to a promise of spending Thanksgiving in New York.
Also Read:John Wick Spinoff Won’t Be as Viscerally Violent as Keanu Reeves Movies: “Don’t get into action fatigue”
Ian McShane Was One of the Last to Join Keanu Reeves
Also Read:“It’s not just a cash grab”: Keanu Reeves Officially Returning for John Wick 5 After $428M Box-Office Haul Alongside Ana de Armas’ Spin-Off
In an interview, producerBasil Iwanyktalked about the upcoming spinoff of the franchise and howIan McShane’s character was always intriguing to him. He went on to recall how McShane was one of the last,“if not the last”actors to find a place in the ensemble. As per IGN, Iwanyk managed to get theHellboyactor for the film asJohn Wickwas shooting in New York during the Thanksgiving weekend.
The media outlet states that this meant the producer had given McShane and his wife a free trip for the Thanksgiving weekend. The actor would get to enjoy the holiday with his wife and do some work for the film. It was a win-win situation!
In the films, McShane plays the role of Winston Scott, the owner of the New York Continental Hotel. The hotel is a safe haven for assassins, which serves as a neutral territory where no business shall be conducted. Disturbing the rules of the hotel will result in penalties for the wrongdoer. After all,“Rules. Without them, we live with the animals”according to Winston.
Also Read:He got me under the bus at 30 mph”: Deadly ‘Speed’ Stunt Almost Ripped ‘John Wick’ Keanu Reeves to Shreds
How the Idea forThe ContinentalCame to Being
In the interview, Iwanyk stated that he and the creative team had to sit through a“long period of development”and some uninteresting ideas before finding the golden egg. Amongst the discarded ideas was one which had a completely new story about a new Continental in a different city and a different concierge than Winston.
However, this and many other ideas were not enough to entice Iwanyk as he called them“John Wick-lite.”They needed something new, something fresh when they recalled Winston’s line inJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,when he says,“I have served and been a beacon of order and stability to our industry for over 40 years.”And thus, the plot forThe Continentalwas established.
Iwanyk stated,
“The writers came up with the idea of going, ‘hold on, he’s been in this hotel for 40-something years – that would lead us to 2000, assuming 1973 or 74.’ And we were like, ‘God, that’s really cool. What about that? Him getting a hold of this hotel in the ‘70s in New York where it was lawless and crazy and post-war and nuts. That’s a cool premise for a gangster movie and that’s a cool premise for a Wick series.’ That’s how we came to that.”
It’s a cool premise, indeed. However, the drama miniseries will not star McShane orKeanu Reevesfor that matter. Instead, actor Colin Woodell will be playing a younger version of Winston. Woodell is known for his work in a number of popular projects includingThe Purge, The Flight Attendant,andThe Originals.
While we will surely miss the Reeves-McShane duo in the miniseries, there is nothing to worry about. Both actors will be reprising their roles in anotherJohn Wickspinoff,Ballerina.
The Continentalwill be released on July 17, 2025. It will be available to stream on Peacock.
Source:IGN
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2256
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
