Posted in: Peacock, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: albert hughes, john wick, peacock, preview, the continental

The Continental: Albert Hughes on What "John Wick" Fans Can Expect

The Continental Director & EP Albert Hughes discusses what "John Wick" fans can expect from Peacock's special event prequel series.

Last month, we were treated to a teaser look at Peacock & Lionsgate's "John Wick" prequel series, The Continental, ahead of its September 2023 premiere. Now, series director & executive producer Albert Hughes (co-directing with twin brother Allen Hughes: The Book Of Eli, Menace II Society & From Hell) is answering one of the first questions that fans of the Keanu Reeves action film franchise have had since the three-episode special event was first announced. Speaking with Deadline Hollywood, Hughes addressed what viewers can expect with regard the how the event series connects with the overall "John Wick" universe as well as how the series defines its own unique style.

"I wouldn't say anything specific, but the whole point was to explore the mythology more, the secrets of the hotel through the characters Winston and Charon, and play with the intersecting characters and storylines. There's this wild cast of new characters that come in and out of that world… I'd say they can expect the high style that the 'John Wick' films give. But different, because we're in the '70s. It's good eye candy, escapism, and fun," Hughes shared.  And it's that setting that Hughes believes adds to the series "fun" factor – an essential part. "That's the one thing that drew me in. I think they have fun with it because it's something different than what you see on TV. It's a longer form than the movies, but the challenge was, can you keep in the fun? I think so many women are fans because you don't take this violence seriously; it's almost a ballet dance, a ballet of bullets. People can check out and go, oh, it's not like the real world. This is not, this is not the real world. And I think that's what's so genius about what Chad and Keanu have done with that series. They're winking and nodding to the audience. That's what Chad said, 'I'm winking and nodding a lot,' and I do the same in the series."

To better demonstrate what he means by that "fun" factor, Hughes name-drops Indiana Jones' debut film as a perfect example og what he's looking to keep in mind. "It's like when I was 10, watching 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', and this archaeologist is running from bigass boulders, and doing all this ridiculous shit with Nazis," the director/executive producer shared. "We knew it was an old TV serial throwback with a good time to be had. The last thing I would want is to leave people bummed out. It's supposed to rock you, musically, sonically, visually with colorful characters, which is what the franchise had, too. The '70s music needle drops, twists, and turns that are unexpected."

As for the look of the series, Hughes drops some examples that definitely tease a unique viewing experience. "From a technical aspect, if you look at 'The Continental' in three parts, you'll see direct things that are nodding to '70s movies. We were like, how can we bring in all this stuff? The lenses we used were MGM and Pathe and built in the early 1950s. They're not great lenses by today's DP standards, but they were used to shoot 'Dr. Zhivago,' 'Cool Hand Luke,' and 'The Graduate.' If you look closely at it, you'll see all these weird flares and glares and, at the bottom of the frame is a little blurry, and the top over here is a little blurry. It's because of these imperfect lenses that were made in 1950," Hughes explained.

Set to hit this September, the special event series is set to explore the origin story and inner workings of the exclusive Continental Hotel, the centerpiece of the "John Wick" Universe, which serves as a refuge for assassins. Told from the perspective of the hotel manager, young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell, based on Ian McShane's character in the films) is dragged through 1975 New York to face a past he thought he'd left behind. In an attempt to seize control of the iconic hotel, which serves as a meeting point for the world's most dangerous criminals, Winston charts a deadly course through the mysterious underworld of New York City.

Woodell is joined by Ayomide Adegun, who will portray a young Charon (based on the late Lance Reddick's character); Peter Greene, who dons the fedora of Uncle Charlie (based on the tight-lipped body disposal expert); Mel Gibson, as Cormac; Ben Robson as Frankie; Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles; Jessica Allain as Lou; Mishel Prada as KD; and Nhung Kate as Yen. The series is developed, written, and executive produced by Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward & Shawn Simmons. Albert Hughes (Parts 1 & 3) and Charlotte Brandstrom direct the three chapters, with Hughes also executive producing. In addition, Thunder Road Pictures' Basil Iwanyk & Erica Lee, as well as Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, and Marshall Persinger, also executive produce the Lionsgate limited series.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!