It’s time to discover the outcome of the series The Continental: from the universe of John Wick ! From this Friday, October 6, 2023, Prime Video unveils the last episode of the fiction derived from the films with Keanu Reeves. This beautiful and neat novelty thus gains momentum in this finale which offers a little more action. While we have already given you some secrets behind the scenes of this production, Télé-Loisirs also spoke with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, the producers. They explained to us in particular why Keanu Reeves did not participate in this series Or what nods to the films had been distilled into fiction.
Keanu Reeves has decided not to participate in the series The Continental
Télé-Loisirs: You both worked on the franchise John Wick. What have you kept from the films and, on the contrary, what are the differences with the series?
Erica Lee: We kept the two main characters, Winston and Charon, who form the most emotional relationship in the film. It was really fun and exciting to bring them into the show to see how this relationship began and blossomed. Then, for aesthetic reasons, we brought in the 87eleven stunt team to help us choreograph and construct all the action sequences.
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Basil Iwanyk: The biggest difference is that the films are just one big chase sequence. John is either stalking someone or being chased. In the series, we slow down the pace and take our time more. This is what makes this format so charming: we have more time to delve deeper into the universe, the characters, the relationships. On the other hand, we kept the aesthetics. Even though it’s a beat-up 1970s New York, there’s still beauty. The composition, the camera work, the lighting always offer something very cinematic and mythical. And then, of course, the action. We needed this look to be impressive. But at the same time, it wasn’t about reproducing what has already been seen in the films.
Was Keanu Reeves involved in the project in any way?
Basil Iwanyk : No. The good thing about Keanu is that everything you hear about him is true: he’s a great guy! From the start of the project, we went to him and said: “You are executive producer on this project. You will be associated with everything we do on John Wick. Whether it’s a spin-off, prequel or sequel, we want you to be involved as a producer.“He is so involved in the creation of the films but he told us: “If I don’t play in it, it’s your turn to play. Good luck and I will fully support you.“
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Can people who have never seen the films watch the series?
Erica Lee: Yes, the series stands on its own. We’re introducing a lot of new characters, but it’s also an origin story. So someone can show up and meet Winston, Charon, and the rest of this group of protagonists and become totally invested in this story. It would then be fun for them to watch the films because there are a lot of winks.
The Continental : did you recognize John Wick’s car?
What are these winks?
Erica Lee: The roof in the scene with Maisie is the same one we used when John goes to see the Bowery King.
Basil Iwanyk: The car is also the same as John Wick’s. We haven’t yet established why it’s the same but it is. (Laughs)
What role did you want women to play in The Continental compared to films John Wick ?
Erica Lee: The series features a lot more female characters, which is really exciting, and they are all very strong. We have a female manager, a female assassin… There are tons of female characters.
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Basil Iwanyk: For us, they are all killers. And whether the killer is male, female, or neither, whether black, white, green, or whatever, they are all killers. We never try to make comparisons. That’s why it’s fun. After all, there are no damsels in distress in films. John Wick. The only somewhat “regular” person in the films is John’s wife, whom we meet for about two minutes. But everyone else has blood on their hands, literally and figuratively.
Erica Lee: They all have shades of gray, which is really interesting for us to play with these characters.
