Kirk Ward, the showrunner of the iconic The Continental, has some interesting insights to reveal about how he created the fascinating world of the series by tracing its origins. The John Wick series, starring Keanu Reeves, was an unexpected revolution in global film, shattering many records with each succeeding release. As of 2023, the John Wick films had earned over a billion dollars at the global box office, placing them among the world’s highest-earning series. Based on the success of the components in John Wick, a completely new prequel will be released exclusively on Prime Video in India and globally on September 22.
Kirk Ward reveals how he created the world of The Continental in the John Wick series
The three-part series will investigate the origins of the iconic hotel-for-assassins The Continental, a centerpiece of the John Wick universe, through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell), who is dragged into the Hellscape of 1970’s New York City to confront a past he thought he’d left behind. Showrunner Kirk Ward discusses the creation of this ambitious prequel, including how he went about constructing a world spotlighting the beginnings of the worldwide blockbuster.
Ward claims he started the ball moving for the franchise. He told Prime Video, “bringing on a filmmaker like Albert Hughes, who has had a complete take of what this should be, and Chad Stahelski, who gave him the keys to the kingdom and said, Make this your own. But I think what the fans are really going to like are the characters that we delve into and the new characters we introduce. The fact that The Continental itself is essentially the main character of our show.”
He went on to explain why they chose Winston’s narrative to go back in time. Ward said, “It really comes down to one line in the first John Wick movie when Winston says, ‘I’ve been running this hotel for 40 years.’ And so it was one of those a-ha moments where we went, ‘Wait a minute, what if we go back to the beginning? What if we set this in a time far away from John Wick, but also start to plant the seeds of how John Wick comes into this universe? And the thing about Winston is that in the movies, we don’t know much about him. He’s the only one who calls John Wick “Jonathan. “And when the hotel is taken over in John Wick 3, he locks himself in a safe, he’s got his drink, and he sits there, and he’s the commander in chief of this sentient being, this Continental.”
Kirk Ward series The Continental cast and release date
The Continental: From the World of John Wick is produced by Lionsgate Television and stars Colin Woodell, Mel Gibson, Michelle Prada, Ben Robson, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Nhung Kate, Jessica Allain, Ayomide Adegun, Jeremy Bobb, and Peter Greene in crucial parts. The highly anticipated three-part mini-series will premiere on Prime Video in India on September 22 in English with Hindi dubs, with weekly releases every Friday.
