During SDCC, Lionsgate Television and Peacock gave panelgoers their first look at the upcoming John Wick prequel: The Continental: From the World of John Wick. This three-part series event is set in the 70s and will see a young Winston Scott (initially played by Ian McShane) work his way into becoming the proprietor of the New York branch of the Continental. While that may not sound like an action-packed storyline, that is far from the truth. Albert Hughes (The Good Lord Bird) knew of the pressures of directing a series set in the John Wick world. While he admits his directing skillset won’t match the prowess of Chad Stahelski, he has a good team behind him.

So in his collaboration with Hughes, Larnell Stoval (Titans) would have weekly meetings together. They would talk about all aspects of the action sequence, and Hughes would let Stoval work his magic. One of those sequences is a 10-minute action sequence where we see a man named Frankie (Winston’s brother) stealing something from Cormac (Mel Gibson). All of the brutal gunplay action we’re used to seeing in John Wick is on display in this action sequence. “The sequence shows everyone that [the flimmakers] got you. It sets the tone [for the series],” they said. “This is our level of violence, and this is who we are. We’re Wick, but we’re different.” And how much action are we getting? Well, the finale will feature a fifty-seven-minute nonstop action sequence. Not to mention, the final episode will have ten feature stunt sequences as well.

Regarding the storyline, Frankie and Winston worked for Cormac when they were younger, and the mysterious item that Frankie stole pissed off Cormac and the High Table. During the panel, we got to see two brand new assassins coming after Winston: Hansel and Gretel. Albert Hughes and Larnell Stoval promise that Hansel and Gretel will be fan favorites. To give you an idea of what to expect with Hansel and Gretel, a stunt guy plays Hansel, and Gretel is a contortionist. Do with that what you will. However, the assassin duo won’t be the only larger-than-life characters on the show. Hughes recognizes the significance of the types of characters in the John Wick world, and as he puts it, “I told [the actors] to just chew up the scenery. Just chew it up.” 

The first episode of The Continental: The World of John Wick will air on Peacock on September 22nd. The second episode will air on September 29th and the finale on October 6th.

Be sure to check out more of our San Diego Comic-Con 2023 coverage.