Kevin Beggs, president of Lionsgate Television Group, says that a Keanu Reeves cameo in the John Wick spin-off show, The Continental, is unlikely to happen. John Wick is one of Lionsgate's biggest franchises after its successful debut in 2014. Major stars like Halle Berry, Willem Dafoe, Lawrance Fishburn, and Ian McShane have all starred in the series. Since John Wick launched almost 7 years ago, there have been 2 hit sequels, and now, this new TV show coming to Starz in May of this year.
The show takes place 40 years prior to the events of the movies and focuses on the chain of hotels known as The Continental. It stars a much younger Winston (played by McShane) who is the owner of the famous chain. These hotels provide neutral territory for assassins, murderers, and criminals to rest without fear of getting killed. They are an essential part of the John Wick universe and have been heavily featured in all three movies thus far. The show will only be 3 episodes long, but ninety minutes each, making each episode like a movie on its own.
Given the popularity of this franchise and Reeves's involvement in it, many have been wondering if Wick might make an appearance in the show. According to Beggs, this is highly unlikely to happen since The Continental takes place well before Wick was ever a hitman. In an interview with Deadline, he talked in more detail about what audiences should expect from the show:
We’re way back in time, way back pre-John Wick and even pre-young John Wick, that character is not finding his way into the universe. We are in the John Wick universe, but it’s way back in time. Think about the Game of Thrones prequels before you know any of the players, but you do know the world.
The Continental is an interesting topic to base a show around. By dedicating an entire show to this premise, they can greatly expand upon the lore of the John Wick universe. Audiences might finally get to know just how this network of assassins got started or how these hotels originated. With more stories to flesh out, viewers could potentially meet a bevy of new characters or explore parts of the Wick universe that may one day become part of the movie series.
Although Reeves may not make an appearance in The Continental, it would be unwise to rule out any possibility for him to show up in other John Wick-related projects. Lionsgate is short on popular original IP that is in high demand in today's Hollywood. With two sequels on the way and an ever-expanding universe, there is so much potential for more shows and spin-off franchises based on John Wick. So, viewers are likely to get a lot more of Reeves as Wick, regardless.
Source: Deadline
