With the fourth chapter of Lionsgate’s John Wick saga now filming and franchise co-star Ian McShane back on board as of Thursday for the role of Winston, all eyes of Wick fans are now on news that Good Lord Bird helmer and The Book Of Eli co-director Albert Hughes, will direct the first and third episodes of The Continental, a three-night event limited series which Hughes will also executive produce for Lionsgate and Starz.
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 news comes long after the show’s announcement in 2017 with the attachments of John Wick franchise shepherds, filmmakers and stunt multi-hyphenates, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch – the former who was set to direct the series at the time. Both will exec produce alongside Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and screenwriter Derek Kolstad who wrote the first three films, and with Reeves reportedly in talks to exec produce.
THR‘s Borys Kit has more:
Continental, which is set in the unique hotel for assassins in the Wick movies, was initially envisioned as spinoff series but was redeveloped as a three-night event series with movie length and movie budgets. The installments are to run about 90 minutes in length and, according to sources, have budgets upwards of $20 million.
That’s more Wick for our buck I suppose. I’m not against this.