After the smashing success of Keanu Reeves’ explosive actioner ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, franchise fans are now eagerly waiting for the ‘John Wick’ spin-off prequel series ‘The Continental’, which is set to arrive later this year on the Peacock streaming platform in the US. In India, the series is expected to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Set in 1970s New York, ‘The Continental’ revolves around the origin story of the titular chain of hotels featured in the ‘John Wick’ universe. The hotel serves as a neutral ground for assassins and hitmen and a safe haven for the world’s most dangerous criminals. The series would be narrated from the perspective of the younger version of the enigmatic owner of the hotel – Winton Scott, played by Colin Woodell.
A few days back, the first teaser of the three-part miniseries ‘The Continental’ was unveiled. However, in the teaser, there was no sign of veteran actor-filmmaker Mel Gibson, who is essaying an important character called Cormac in the series.
The makers might have intentionally not revealed Mel Gibson’s character in the first teaser to preserve the curiosity quotient. Or perhaps it’s because of a potential backlash for Mel Gibson’s casting taking into account his previous controversies.
But the more important question is: Can Mel Gibson make a solid comeback with ‘The Continental’ series? Despite his time-tested acting calibre and screen presence, Mel Gibson’s last two films as a lead actor were quite badly received. His previous two films as a lead actor ‘On the Line’ and ‘Hot Seat’ had received dismal critics’ scores of 21% and 17%, respectively, on reviews aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.
‘The Continental’ series looks like an earnest attempt by Mel Gibson to revive his once-glorious acting career. The Academy award-winning Hollywood filmmaker first shot to fame by starring in the Mad Max film trilogy and further gained recognition in the well-received ‘Lethal Weapon’ film series.
Thereafter, he directed the Oscar-winning historical epic film ‘Braveheart’ in which he also played the lead role. Mel Gibson’s next directorial projects were the controversial film ‘Passion of the Christ’, the action-adventure film ‘Apocalypto’, and the critically acclaimed World War II drama ‘Hacksaw Ridge’.
Considering the phenomenal success of the ‘John Wick’ films and its cult following by action movie buffs, chances of ‘The Continental’ series too clicking with the audiences are quite high. Casting the once-blacklisted Hollywood A-list star Mel Gibson in ‘The Continental’ is a double-edged sword. But if the casting decision clicks this time and receives love from the loyal fanbase of the ‘John Wick’ series, who knows, it could turn out to be one hell of a comeback for Mel Gibson and even give the ‘John Wick’ franchise a different dimension and more substance.
‘The Continental’ Teaser –