John Wick star Ian McShane brutally slams the existence of the franchise’s prequel television series, The Continental: From the World of John Wick. McShane portrays Winston Scott in the main John Wick franchise. Colin Woodell plays a younger version of the character in the Peacock spinoff show, chronicling how Winston became proprietor of the New York Continental Hotel.
In an interview with MovieWeb during the promotional tour of his latest film, American Star, McShane didn’t have anything positive to say about The Continental prequel show. Revealing that he hadn’t watched it, McShane blatantly called out the show for being nothing more than an attempt at cashing in on the popularity of the John Wick franchise. Check out what he said on the matter below:
No, I wouldn’t watch it. I have no intentions – nobody – I don’t think Keanu watched it, neither has Chad. It had nothing to do with our movies. It’s just a question of a TV company cashing in on the series and taking the option to [air?]. They never asked us about anything so why would I be interested in seeing it? I’m afraid their arrogance in getting the show out is beyond me so I wish them well. I think it’s come and gone, hasn’t it?
The Continental Didn’t Add Much to the John Wick Universe
When its first episode was released on Peacock, The Continental received mixed reviews. Some critics lauded its action style, which largely stays true to the mechanics developed by the main John Wick franchise, while others criticized its pace and underdeveloped story. The show initially drew controversy over the casting of Mel Gibson, who plays its main antagonist, Cormac O’Connor, who ran the Continental Hotel before Winston took over. And while some viewers would enjoy more John Wick content, especially coming after the heels of John Wick: Chapter 4, the series didn’t add much to the overall story and world of the franchise.
While audiences do learn how Winston took over the New York Continental from Cormac, the three-episode series seems only to serve to cash in on the franchise instead of bringing something new to the table. The series does give more backstory to Winston Scott than the films do, especially regarding his relationship with his brother, Frankie (Ben Robson), but not enough to make the audience invested in the overall story.
While the John Wick universe will continue to expand, The Continental was not a strong step in the franchise branching out. As McShane noted, no one consulted with him or potentially other creatives who made the franchise so popular. Hopefully, future installments will have stronger support from the original cast members.
The Continental
The Continental is a spinoff series set in the John Wick universe. The Peacock show follows the origin of the hotel for assassins, with the leading character, Winston Scott, headed back there to face his past. The Continental is set in 1975 and sees an underworld group trying to take over the hotel. The series is a three-night special event, with each episode running for 90 minutes.
- Release Date
- September 22, 2023
- Cast
- Jessica Allain , Colin Woodell , Hubert Point-Du Jour , Nhung Kate , Ben Robson , Mel Gibson , Mishel Prada , Jeremy Bobb , Peter Greene , Ayomide Adegun
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Derek Kolstad
- Writers
- Greg Coolidge , Shawn Simmons , Derek Kolstad , Kirk Ward , Chris Collins , Ken Kristensen
- Streaming Service(s)
- Peacock
- Franchise(s)
- John Wick
- Directors
- Albert Hughes , Charlotte Brändström
- Showrunner
- Greg Coolidge , Kirk Ward
