Summary
- Keanu Reeves will executive-produce John Wick: Under the High Table, a more exciting project than the franchise’s first spinoff show, The Continental.
- Under the High Table could be very different from The Continental since it is a sequel instead of a prequel. That means it could have original actors reprise their recognizable roles.
- The Continental wasn’t a great way for the John Wick franchise to begin its foray into spinoffs, but Under the High Table seems much more promising.
Keanu Reeves’ new John Wick show has just been announced, and it already sounds better than the franchise’s first spinoff. There’s a slew of upcoming John Wick spinoffs and movies in various stages of development following the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4. From Ana de Armas’ confirmed Ballerina spinoff to John Wick 5 and even rumored projects like a movie focusing on Halle Berry’s Sofia, the world of assassins is constantly growing. A new announcement has confirmed that the world of John Wick will soon expand even further, as there’s a new spinoff show in development.
Lionsgate recently announced John Wick: Under the High Table, a spinoff show set to take place after the events of John Wick: Chapter 4. While there aren’t yet many details available about the upcoming show, the information that has been shared so far already paints a very promising picture. Keanu Reeves isn’t confirmed to star as John Wick on the show, and it seems unlikely that he ever will, but he is involved in its development. Under the High Table is an unexpected direction for the future of John Wick, but it already seems to be an improvement over the franchise’s first spinoff.
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John Wick: Under The High Table Sounds More Exciting Than The Continental
John Wick: Under the High Table isn’t the first spinoff show in the franchise – that honor belongs to The Continental: From the World of John Wick. The franchise’s first two shows have a similar goal in mind, of exploring the world of John Wick, but they have a key difference. The Continental examined Winston Scott’s origin and rise to power at the New York Continental, while Under the High Table could focus on the power vacuum left after John’s rampage through the entire High Table. It’s a much bigger scope with much more important stakes, and it should make for a much more exciting show.
Under the High Table is more exciting than The Continental simply because Reeves and Stahelski understand what it takes to make an entertaining
John Wick
story, which should keep them from repeating the previous show’s mistakes.
Another exciting piece of information about John Wick: Under the High Table is that Keanu Reeves, who played John, and franchise director Chad Stahelski will be involved in the show as executive producers. Even though he’s only returning as an executive producer, Reeves’ involvement in Under the High Table is an extremely promising sign, especially since he will be working with Stahelski once again. Their names alone have already made Under the High Table more exciting than The Continental simply because Reeves and Stahelski understand what it takes to make an entertaining John Wick story, which should keep them from repeating the previous show’s mistakes.
Chad Stahelski is also set to direct the pilot episode of
John Wick: Under the High Table
.
How John Wick’s New Spinoff Show Will Be Different From The Continental
The biggest difference between John Wick: Under the High Table and The Continental is that the former is a sequel. As a prequel, The Continental had to recast many of its most recognizable characters, like Winston Scott and Charon. Under the High Table, however, takes place immediately following John Wick: Chapter 4, which means any returning characters highlighted in the show could easily be played by their original movie actors. It also means Under the High Table won’t have an already-written end-point for its characters, and it can instead take its own spin on John Wick‘s story.
The Continental
The Continental is a spinoff series set in the John Wick universe. The Peacock show follows the origin of the hotel for assassins, with the leading character, Winston Scott, headed back there to face his past. The Continental is set in 1975 and sees an underworld group trying to take over the hotel. The series is a three-night special event, with each episode running for 90 minutes.
- Cast
- Jessica Allain , Colin Woodell , Hubert Point-Du Jour , Nhung Kate , Ben Robson , Mel Gibson , Mishel Prada , Jeremy Bobb , Peter Greene , Ayomide Adegun
- Release Date
- September 22, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Greg Coolidge , Shawn Simmons , Derek Kolstad , Kirk Ward , Chris Collins , Ken Kristensen
- Directors
- Albert Hughes , Charlotte Brändström
- Showrunner
- Greg Coolidge , Kirk Ward
The Continental Left A Lot To Be Desired As John Wick’s First Spinoff
Another big reason Under the High Table is such an exciting development for John Wick is simply because The Continental was a bit of a misfire. The Continental had a lot of things going for it, from following iconic characters like Winston and Charon to promising a deep-dive into the structure of John Wick‘s network of assassins and resources. Despite its enticing premise, The Continental mostly failed to deliver. It introduced unnecessary and less compelling characters that only served to distract from the show’s main draw – Winston’s origin story – and its movie-length episodes made the entire series feel overly long.
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Along with its inherent problems, The Continental also really wasn’t a great showing for the first John Wick spinoff. It didn’t have the same gripping action as the main movies, and its exposition about the Continental and the network of assassins felt far more forced and less natural. The Continental just wasn’t representative of all the various stories that deserve to be told in the world of John Wick. It was a far lower quality than John Wick is typically known for, which set the entire franchise back, but Under the High Table could easily correct that.
John Wick: Under the High Table‘s setting in the John Wick timeline, its focus on the aftermath of John’s actions and the High Table itself, and its executive producers, all indicate that it will be extremely important to the franchise. Aside from its story and the new details about the High Table it’s sure to reveal, Under the High Table could be a critical point in the future of John Wick as a whole. If it works, it could be proof that spinoffs work and are worth continuing. If the show fails, however, it may be the beginning of the end of John Wick spinoffs.
John Wick
- Created by
- Derek Kolstad
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Lance Reddick , Willem Dafoe , Michael Nyqvist , Alfie Allen , Laurence Fishburne , Anjelica Huston , Bill Skarsgard , Mel Gibson , Donnie Yen