The Continental, a John Wick spinoff about the fictional chain of hotels for assassins, has hired director Albert Hughes and seemingly reworked the premise into a three-night limited event series.
The Hollywood Reporter says that The Continental will now be three, 90-minute specials with a budget that now rivals some movies. Sources say filmmakers now have a $20 million budget to use for the limited event.
Hughes, who previously directed films like The Book of Eli, will direct the first and third episode and serve as an executive producer across all three installments. The director for the second episode has not been hired yet.
The Continental is set 40 years before the events of John Wick and will focus on a young Winston, played in the films by Ian McShane. The series will be about how The Continental chain was founded in 1970s New York.
Originally a movie about Keanu Reeves’ retired hitman avenging his murdered dog, John Wick has spawned its own mini-universe thanks to the world-building laid out by creator Derek Kolstad.
The fourth and fifth John Wick film is already in development, while a potential movie spinoff called Ballerina, based on the mysterious ballet troupe in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, is currently in the works.
The team behind John Wick also created films like Atomic Blonde and Nobody, and while neither film is officially tied to the John Wick universe, the creators have teased there could be potential crossovers, but only in limited ways like in easter eggs.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.