John Wick is one of the most enjoyable action films of the past few years. The character and his world are so fascinating that a fandom instantly sprouted up around this new property. The new sequel delivered more of what fans loved about the original while expanding the universe in interesting ways. One of the most intriguing parts of John Wick involved his backstory; he killed an entire crime syndicate in one night in order to leave his life of violence. This mythic event has always been an arena that screenwriter Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski have wanted to explore. Well, they might just get their chance.
Lionsgate has expressed interest in a television series about John Wick. According to Kolstad and Stahelski, they really want to dig into John’s past but it isn’t a story that is suited for the films they are making. The film series has a definitive beginning, middle, and end according to the filmmakers. However, they would love the opportunity to explore how John Wick became the boogeyman of the criminal world. It would also give them the chance to dive into even deeper corners of the colorful crime universe they’ve created.
Welcome to the Continental
And it sounds like they’re going to do just that. The title of the show is The Continental and will focus on all the different versions of the iconic hitman hotel throughout the world. From the sound of it, it could be a show that’s almost an anthology. It could follow different employees of the Continental as well as the various guests that stay there.
This sounds like a great idea if a few stipulations can be met. Obviously, you can’t do this without Keanu Reeves in some capacity. I can’t see an audience accepting anyone else as John at this point, and the filmmakers agree. John would show up in some way but he wouldn’t be the focus of the show. That might turn some folks off at first, but it actually allows for a number of very different kinds of stories to be told. Equally important is the need to match the level of action that the films have established. It certainly wouldn’t be impossible to do on a TV budget. John Wick definitely benefited from a stripped down approach to action so it could be feasible to replicate some of that on television. But what makes this world work is the world. It’s such a comic book/video game influenced universe that has so many different avenues to explore.
