With the series “The Continental”, the “John Wick” franchise, launched in 2014, spreads its wings. For AlloCiné, two of the producers, Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, look back on this unexpected success.
Who would have thought, almost ten years ago, that the film John Wick would mark the start of a great adventure? In just four parts, the saga joins the caste of billionaire franchises. The fourth opus alone raked in nearly half that – more than $428 million worldwide.
Not only did the first film open the doors to an imagination of infinite possibilities, but it also revived the career of its main star, Keanu Reeves. With this role, the actor has since regained his title as an essential action figure.
The success is such that the John Wick saga is no longer limited to Keanu Reeves and the cinema. Since September 22, the Prime Video platform has launched a spin-off series, The Continental, which explores the young years of the character of Winston and the past of this establishment which welcomes many criminals.
The irony ? If the John Wick franchise has become a sure value, no one wanted the first film. This is what Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, two of the historic producers of the saga, also behind the series The Continental, reveal to us. “When we finished the film, the studios didn’t want to buy it from us. We really thought we had failed all along.”, recalls Basil Iwanyk.
He pursues : “We still feel like an indie, outsider, off-the-radar release. We have to try harder than others. It is this work ethic, both creative and physical, that has kept us going.” Because yes, as surprising as it may seem, at its beginnings, John Wick was nothing like a traditional blockbuster.
The first part, directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, has a budget of $20 million. A more than modest sum for an action film. At the end of its operation, it will bring in four times more – 86 million dollars. Today, Chapter 4 earns as much as a superhero movie.
I don’t think audiences want five or six hours of John Wick without Keanu Reeves.
“When we receive a script and read the first page, there is always something inside us that says: “Could this film change my life?” And this one changed oursadmits Basil Iwanyk. The fact that it was so well received by critics and audiences exceeded our expectations and continues to exceed them.”
The secret of this success certainly lies in team spirit. This is how Erica Lee analyzes it: “Basil, Keanu, Chad Stahelski and I have been here since day one. I think it’s rare for a group to remain so intact and united. It’s something special.”
Prime Video Mel Gibson, big bad guy from the spin-off series “The Continental”.
The Continental, the derivative series, is not there to reproduce the spirit of the films identically. “I don’t think audiences want five or six hours of John Wick without Keanu Reeves”, believes Basil Iwanyk. With this spin-off, the producer wants to draw inspiration from the Star Wars formula. He cites The Mandalorian and Andor. The idea: draw on the DNA of the saga to tell new stories with a different tone and characters.
The three-episode series is just the beginning of a new era for the saga. Expected for June 2024, a new film will be released in theaters, Ballerina. Still without Keanu Reeves, but with Ana de Armas – who has already shown all her potential as a caning heroine in the 25th James Bond No Time To Die.
The story will follow the adventures of a hitwoman, raised as an assassin, in search of her family’s murderers. A story of revenge, always, but in a feminine way in the hope of reaching a new audience. Fans of the franchise are not at the end of their surprises.
Comments collected by Thomas Desroches, in London, September 20.
The Continental is available on Prime Video.