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Where Does The Continental Prequel Series Fit Into The John Wick Timeline?
The Continental: From the World of John Wick arrives on Peacock Friday, September 22.
One of the most notable things about the John Wick series is how each movie follows right on the heels of the next. Keanu Reeves’ world-weary assassin never gets a chance to catch his breath once a simple crusade for revenge against the home invaders that murdered his dog turns into a globe-trotting battle against the dangerous criminal cabal known as the High Table.
Not even that once-neutral territory of hitmen and women across the globe, The Continental, is safe for Mr. Wick following his actions at the end of Chapter 2. Long before John brutally gunned down Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) in the hotel’s restaurant, however, it was ground zero for a disco-era power struggle that will take center stage in Peacock’s upcoming limited prequel series: The Continental (its first episode drops September 22).
RELATED: The Continental: Everything To Know About Peacock's Groovy John Wick Prequel
Where does The Continental fit into the John Wick timeline?
Well, to answer that question, we first need to establish the timeframe of the four John Wick movies, which the franchise's director, Chad Stahelski, was kind enough to confirm earlier this year whilst chatting with Collider.
"We figured the first three movies almost happened in like a week, week and a half, somewhere in there," he explained. "That's my version, I think Keanu’s is a little different, and I think this [Chapter 4] is like six months later. So within a year, I think it all happens. I would say almost within 7 to 8 months."
And since it's probably safe to assume that the original movie takes place in 2014 (the year it was released), then we can also assume that all of the feature-length action is contained to that year. If you wanted to provide a little more speculative leeway, however, you could also make the argument that the story bleeds into 2015.
Okay, now over to The Continental. We know it's a prequel set in late 1970s Manhattan, but no specific year has been provided by the official press materials. With that said, there are several telling clues.
First, you have the classic disco tracks used in both trailers: Earth Wind & Fire's "Shining Star" and Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," which were released in 1975 and 1977, respectively.
Second, you have the Deadline interview with Kevin Beggs, where the Lionsgate Television Chairman reveals that the show acknowledges a garbage collectors' strike. The city's sanitation professionals famously went on strike in 1968, 1975, and 1981, allowing refuse to start choking the streets of the Big Apple before an amicable resolution could be reached.
Pair that knowledge with the two songs mentioned above, and we can make an educated guess that The Continental takes place sometime between 1975 and 1977 — close to four decades prior to John Wick's canine-related quest for revenge.
Who stars in The Continental?
The limited series features a cast comprised of Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon), Colin Woodell (Unfriended: Dark Web), Mishel Prada (Riverdale), Ben Robson (Vikings), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Dr. Death), Nhung Kate (The Housemaid), Jessica Allain (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Ayomide Adegun (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Jeremy Bobb (The Outsider), Mark Musashi (Infinite), Marina Mazepa (Malignant), and Peter Greene (The Mask).
Woodell, Adegun, and Greene play younger versions of characters featured in the Wick movies: Winston Scott (Ian McShane), Charon (Lance Reddick), and Uncle Charlie (David Patrick Kelly).
How to watch John Wick spinoff The Continental?
The Continental: From the World of John Wick will stream exclusively on Peacock. The premiere streams on Friday, September 22, with the rest of the series' installments playing out on September 29 and October 6.
Executive producer Albert Hughes (co-director of From Hell and The Book of Eli) helmed the first and final episodes. Charlotte Brandstrom (The Consultant, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) directed the middle installment.
Peacock currently offers two monthly subscription plans: Premium ($5.99 a month with ads) and Premium Plus ($11.99 a month with no ads and download access for certain titles).
If you're a student, you can enjoy the Premium plan for just $1.99 for an entire year.
Want more original Peacock content in the meantime? Be sure to check out Twisted Metal, Killing It, Bel-Air, A Friend of the Family, Poker Face, Joe vs. Carole, Mrs. Davis, MacGruber, and Based on a True Story
