John Wick’s prequel is coming to Peacock in 2023

The Continental, a three-episode series that takes place before the events of the John Wick films, is coming to Peacock in 2023. In a press release, NBC announced that it has reached “a multi-year deal” for The Continental, which was originally set to premiere on Starz.

Unlike the films, The Continental won’t center around Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin. It will instead explore the origin of the Continental Hotel that serves as a sanctuary for criminals throughout the John Wick franchise.

The series is set in 1975 New York City and follows the younger version of Winston Scott (played by The Flight Attendant’s Colin Woodell) as he tries to gain control of the Continental Hotel. It will also feature Ayomide Adegun as a young Charon, a concierge at the Continental, with Peter Greene taking on the role of a young Charlie, the crime scene cleanup expert who makes an appearance in the first and second John Wick films.

Mel Gibson will appear as an original character named Cormac, a decision that has been met with some backlash due to previous reports accusing Gibson of antisemitic, homophobic, sexist, and racist behavior. Other cast members include Ben Robson as Frankie; Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles; Jessica Allain as Lou; Mishel Prada as KD; and Nhung Kate as Yen.

The limited series will come out around the same time as the premier of John Wick 4, which hits theaters on March 24th, 2023.