The Secret Journey of John Wick Spinoff: From 10 Episodes to 3 Epic Movies!

Summary

Key Takeaways:

The John Wick spinoff, The Continental, was initially planned as a 10-episode series but was ultimately condensed into three TV movies. This modification led to a fusion of various narratives from the original episodes.

Bernardin, one of the show's producers, expressed dissatisfaction with the changes and hinted at disagreement with a specific casting decision, potentially alluding to Mel Gibson's involvement.

The producer of The Continental, a spinoff of the John Wick franchise, shares the story of how the show transitioned from 10 episodes to 3 movies. The character Baba Yaga, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, gained a dedicated following after the original film's release in 2014. It then evolved into a global movie phenomenon with the release of three sequels. Now, thanks to a spinoff series available on Peacock, viewers can delve into the world crafted by Chad Stahelski's action-packed films, exploring the origins of Ian McShane's enigmatic hotel owner, Winston Scott, in the 1970s. Although the show successfully expands upon the universe's mythology, some may find it peculiar that it only consists of three extended episodes, considering spinoff shows typically receive longer runs.

The John Wick spinoff series, The Continental, was initially planned to have more than three episodes. However, a decision was later made to shorten its length. One of the show's credited producers, Marc Bernardin, recently discussed the change in a post on Instagram. He shared his experience working on the series and explained why it ended up being shorter than originally planned. Take a look at his remarks below:

"Now that the #WGAstrong strike is over, I suppose I can talk about new stuff. My experience with The Continental was interesting. It was a job that I really wanted and had high hopes for, as shown in the second slide. The writers room had some amazing talents, and I would love to collaborate with them again. I worked on the project for 20 weeks and then received an offer to join Starfleet as a producer on Star Trek: Picard."

Then, unexpected events unfolded. The initial plan of a 10-episode series was transformed into three TV movies, resulting in a mishmash of various storylines from different episodes. Casting decisions were made, some of which I strongly disagreed with, but since I wasn't the showrunner, my opinion held little weight. Additionally, the onset of a pandemic added to the challenges.

I acknowledge the immense effort put in by numerous individuals for The Continental. However, considering what it could have been, I don't feel a strong urgency to watch it. I briefly watched the first episode/movie just to ensure my contribution was acknowledged. Nonetheless, I genuinely hope you enjoy it. Ultimately, that has always been the objective. And if you find yourself engrossed in the story for a significant period, then our mission is accomplished.

Bernardin May Have Been Against Mel Gibson’s Casting

Bernardin's recent comments clearly indicate his disagreement with several key decisions made by The Continental producers after he left. It is apparent that he was not pleased with the decision to condense the story from ten episodes to three movie-length segments, as he believes it resulted in the writers having to merge the original storylines in an unsatisfactory manner. Additionally, he briefly mentioned his disagreement with a casting choice, likely referring to the controversial inclusion of Mel Gibson in the role of Cormac O'Connor.

The inclusion of Gibson into the expansive world of John Wick was certainly a surprising choice, one that EP Albert Hughes defended in September, stating to TVLine:

I don't want to delve into the personal life details. My main focus is to carry out my job and admire someone who is skilled both in front of and behind the camera.

The Continental has unquestionably stirred up conflicting opinions, with many arguing that it failed to truly capture the essence of the John Wick universe as established by the movies. Whether the show would have fared better with a ten-episode season instead of three movies will forever remain an unanswered question. Based on his remarks, it is evident where original producer Bernardin stands on the Continental debate.

Source: Marc Bernardin/Instagram