After being ordered straight to series by Starz in early 2018, John Wick prequel The Continental then went completely silent for three and a half years, but it would be an understatement to say that things have exploded into life at long last. No longer a standard episodic show, the 1970s-set crime thriller is now a three-part event, with each installment set to cost upwards of $20 million and run for a feature length 90 minutes.
As pre-production continues to gather pace at a rapid rate, new plot and character details have reportedly leaked to give a much greater insight into where the story is heading, and how it ties into the larger John Wick mythos. An actor around 31 years of age is being sought for Winston, described as “posing as someone who he is not. Winston’s dark past will be revealed with his greatest strength, and weapon, becoming his mind”.
Iron Fist and Ozark alum Tom Pelphrey is reportedly named as a barometer of who they should be looking for, so perhaps the 38 year-old is in the running himself. We’re also getting a 17 year-old Charon, who works for a mob boss named Cormack, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can find a teenager or someone in their early 20s that can convince as a youthful version of Lance Reddick.
Cormack is said to be at war with a criminal rival and Vietnam veteran named Frankie, who steals from one syndicate to pay off a debt to another, and he also happens to be Winston’s brother. Other characters include Frankie’s wife Yen, a detective named Catherine Decker who investigates the shady going-on at the titular hotel and a younger version of Charlie the cleaner, who was played by David Patrick Kelley in John Wick, making The Continental sound like it’s pushing the boat out to tell a brand new story in a very familiar world.