The creative minds behind ‘The Continental’ series open the door to its “disco noir” vibe
On Tuesday, June 13, Peacock released new images to social media from the streaming service’s forthcoming spinoff series The Continental.
In a press release, producer Basil Iwanyk and director Albert Hughes also shared their thoughts on the project, with Iwanyk reminiscing about the presumed fate of “a small, below-the-radar film called John Wick.”
He expressed, “Directed by two ex-stuntmen, and its premise was potentially the goofiest in film history. Keanu (Reeves) avenging a puppy’s death!? We were doomed.”
He adds, “It hit a chord that none of us anticipated. Yes, people love Keanu. And the action was awesome. What we didn’t see coming was how much the audience loved the world, its rules, the swagger, the craziness, and the rogue’s gallery of villains and (kinda) good guys.”
The producer explains, “All those roads led to one place…The Continental, led by two of the franchise’s greatest characters, Winston [Ian McShane] and Charon [the late Lance Reddick].”
With that in mind, the series takes a look back at how the hitman hot spot came to be, and how Winston and Charon came to take their respective places there as manager and concierge.
Hughes, who directed the first and third installments of the three-part series, said he and executive producer/writer Kirk Ward “had the time of our lives” expanding the lore of the hotel, introducing new characters and creating this “impressionistic spin on New York in the 70s” they dubbed “disco noir.”
Colin Woodell plays the younger version of McShane’s character in the series, which will also star Mel Gibson, Peter Greene, Ben Robson, Hubert Point-Du Jour, and Nhung Kate.
Ayomide Adegun will appear as a younger version of Charon, the character played in the films by Reddick, who passed away unexpectedly in March.
The series premieres in September on Peacock.
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