
Per News Reelz:
Mel Gibson is headed to television. It had been announced that Gibson has been set to star in The Continental, the prequel to the Keanu Reeves film series John Wick. The Continental will be presented as a three night special event TV series, produced for Starz by Lionsgate Television.
According to “Deadline”, “The Continental will explore the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, which increasingly has become the centerpiece of the John Wick universe. This will be accomplished through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals. No word yet on who’ll play Winston Scott (the hotel owner is played in the films by Ian McShane). Gibson will play a character named Cormac.”
Mel Gibson made his acting debut on the Australian television drama series The Sullivans from 1976–1983. During that run he made his Australian screen breakthrough in George Miller’s Mad Max. This is a rare foray into television for the actor so this series must be worth his time.
The John Wick trilogy has grossed almost $600 million worldwide. The films have been scripted by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski, and John Wick: Chapter Four is currently shooting in Germany, France and Japan with Reeves reprising his assassin character. As for the series, Executive Producers Greg Coolidge (Wayne, Ride Along) and Kirk Ward (Wayne) are writing the event series and serve as showrunners.