"The Continental": Behind-the-scenes at the "John Wick" prequel
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The area staged to resemble the lobby of "The Continental." Photo: Todd Williamson/Courtesy of Peacock
Last week, Axios' Maxwell Millington visited the set of Peacock's "John Wick" prequel to participate in an exclusive behind-the-scenes workshop at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel.
Why it matters: Due to the ongoing strikes, actors are barred from promoting shows and movies they appear in. This new reality has left producers and directors with the responsibility of handling publicity, and media invitations like this allow crew members to champion their work.
Driving the news: "The Continental: From The World Of John Wick" premieres Friday on the NBC-owned streaming service.
What they're saying: "We wanted to take the innovative approach of showcasing the creative team behind the project and immerse attendees into the making of numerous aspects of the show," says Shannon Willett, chief marketing officer at Peacock.
- "Normally we're a best kept secret, but I feel like it's a privilege to be out here. The world needs to know that (the actors) put in some work and the action scenes show it," action director Larnell Stovall told Axios.
- Costume designer Sarah Arthur, a nominee for two Primetime Emmys for her work on "Sherlock," described the experience as "nerve wracking."
Between the lines: The workshop included assassin training, a costume showcase, sound effects demo and interviews.
- The participating talent were costume designer Arthur, sound editor Luke Gibleon, Stovall and production designer Drew Boughton and executive producers Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Albert Hughes, who also directed episodes 1 and 3.
Details: Here's a few interesting nuggets shared at the event.
- The series is set in 1970s New York City, but was actually filmed in Budapest and Los Angeles.
- Mel Gibson — who stars as Cormac, kingpin and manager of The Continental hotel — had never seen any of the "John Wick" films prior to the production, according to director and executive producer Hughes.
- Boughton said set pieces like tables, counters and walls are made with rubber to protect the actors during combat. So when someone is slammed through a table, they aren't actually hurt.
- Arthur used Studio 54 fashion as a reference for her designs. The iconic nightclub also served as the inspiration for the opening scene of the series.
Our thought bubble: My favorite activity was the sound effects demo where Gibleon brought in a keyboard piano with all the sound cues marked for a gunfighting scene.
- I had to try and match the sound cues with the shots fired, punches and grapples being played on the screen in real time. It wasn't easy.
What's next: The Writer's Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are set to go back to the negotiating table this week. A deal between the two bodies could bode well for talks between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA, who represents actors.
Go deeper: Learn more about "The Continental: From The World Of John Wick" in this week's streaming guide.
