According to Deadline, Mel Gibson (Braveheart) has officially signed on to star in Lionsgate Television’s forthcoming three-part John Wick prequel series The Continental, which is developed for Starz. He is set to portray the role of Cormac.
This project marks Gibson’s first major scripted TV project in a long while since starring in the Australian drama The Sullivans which ran on-air from 1976-1983. He has also made appearances in Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, and Complete Savages.
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The Continental was first announced in 2017 by franchise creators Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad. The titular hotel was first introduced in the first installment of the John Wick films as a safe haven for assassins and has been a primary location in the film franchise.
Set 40 years before the events of the films, the upcoming prequel spinoff center around a young man named Winston, who will one day grow up to be the character played by Ian McShane in the Wick movies. In the prequel set against the backdrop of 1970s New York, fans will find a young Winston as an up-and-coming hitman hotelier who, along with others, create a haven for unsavory types.
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Each installment of the event series is expected to be 90-minutes long and will premiere through the course of three consecutive nights. Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli) will direct two episodes of The Continental event series, which are the first and third installment. He will also be serving as an executive producer.
The Continental will be executive produced by Kolstad, Stahelski, Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk, and David Leitch, with Reeves still in negotiation to executive produce. The director for the second installment hasn’t been announced yet, but Stahelski was originally attached to direct the pilot.
