Concept: John Wick Anthologies

Anyone that knows me knows I love the John Wick movies and the universe they've built up over the course of four movies, a television series, and other expanded universe material. The first movie was masterful with its "show, don't tell" world-building, which just kept getting deeper and more complex with each successive movie. And they were great fun action flicks on top of it.

The universe keeps expanding, with Chapter 5 announced, a side-story movie (Ballerina) due out in 2025, a television series (Under the High Table) and anime series in development, all of which makes me excited for their eventual releases. However, I'm of the belief that Chad Stahelski could take it a step further with two other concepts, by using the anthology concept. 

About the John Wick Universe

In case you've been living under a rock, the John Wick movies center on the titular character, played by Keanu Reeves. John, grieving after the loss of his wife, runs afoul of some Russian thugs who break into his house to steal his car, and in the process kill his new puppy. Sadly for those thugs, John Wick is a retired mob hitman who proceeds to go on a rampage against the Russian mob and anyone else who stands in his way. Along the way, we the viewers are shown this extensive criminal underworld with code phrases, private currency, and deep traditions.

The sequels expand on the underworld by revealing it spans the globe, and all operates under the auspices of the merciless High Table. Chapter 2 reveals that John's rampage has brought up certain debts he owed a high-ranking mob kingpin, and his actions in that movie continue to spiral out as the consequences of his actions bring the High Table's wrath down on him. The body count just continues to climb as the movies go on.

Anthologies are great for expanding on a theme or setting, and they've proven generally successful for other franchises, and with how John Wick has presented its world, it could easily accommodate the same.

The Continental

In 2023, Peacock streamed the limited series The Continental, a prequel to John Wick which focused on the character Winston Scott, showcasing how he rose through the criminal underworld to become the manager of the titular hotel in New York City in the 1970s. It was a moderately slow burn, building up to an explosive confrontation as Winston and his allies went up against the ruthless maniac Cormac O'Connor over control of the Continental.

While no new seasons have been announced, I believe that future seasons could focus on other Continental hotels. Chapter 2 revealed that there was a Continental in Rome, Chapter 3 showed one in Casablanca, and Chapter 4 in Osaka. In all cases, the hotels operate in the same manner. People who present one of the gold coins used in the underworld are welcome to make use of the hotel's facilities and services, with but one caveat: "No business is to be conducted on Continental grounds." Violation of this rule is punished with excommunication at best and execution at worst. By setting future seasons of The Continental around other hotels in the chain, it can expand on the backstories of some of the hotel managers.

A MacGuffin introduced in The Continental was an antique coin press, one which could mint the gold coins used throughout the underworld as payment for services. It was stolen in the first episode from the New York Continental, and its theft kicked off much of the plot. The coin press (it need not be the same one) could return in each season as a through-line.

Another important factor I feel needs to be included is an absence of John Wick himself. John made no appearance (and there was no reference to him) in The Continental, so the same needs to apply in these theoretical Continental seasons.

Osaka

Shimazu Koji, the head of the Osaka Continental played by Hiroyuki Sanada in Chapter 4, is an experienced man of the underworld. He was friends with Donnie Yen's assassin Caine, where both were reluctant to fight one another, and also friendly enough with John that he was willing to risk the wrath of the High Table by sheltering him.

A season focusing on the Osaka Continental could show how the underworld of the John Wick universe is flavored in a Japanese setting. The coin press becoming the target of some ambitious yakuza organization looking to climb the ranks under the High Table. As the underworld mobilizes toward the end, you could show various "gangs" or yakuza groups perhaps in particular appearances. In Chapter 3, we're shown specific soldiers employed by the High Table that wear fully bulletproof armor and helmets, and in Chapter 4 the Marquis' forces are similarly armored with bulletproof suits.

In a theoretical Continental: Osaka season, besides this, we could also feature specific assassins. In The Continental, we meet a pair of assassins called the Twins (or Hansel and Gretel) with a distinctive look  and demeanor, which could be echoed with a pair or set of assassins who wear oni masks. Perhaps we even meet a younger Zero, a skilled assassin who was met in Chapter 3.

As I write this, I should note that, for all I know, this concept could be part of the above-mentioned as-yet-untitled Japanese animated series that's in development. Based on recent anime series based on popular media (Netflix's Castlevania, Terminator Zero, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners come to mind), if the quality stacks up, then I'm quite excited about this upcoming series.

Casablanca

Halle Berry's Sofia Al-Azwar ran the Casablanca Continental in Chapter 3, and was established to have been an assassin like John before retiring to run the hotel. However, in that same movie, we meet Berrada, her predecessor, who now runs a nearby facility for the High Table. That facility is where the underworld's gold coins are minted, making him a high-ranking member of the underworld because of this, to the point that he seems to be one of the few people on the planet with the knowledge of how to reach the Elder, the One Who Sits Above the Table.

There's potential story in both of them, but the through-line of the coin press could come to play in this season's concept. After the troubles that arose when the coin press(es) were stolen or threatened previously, the High Table decides to consolidate and reinforce the mint which Berrada will eventually operate. Either this act takes place after the events of the season, or the knowledge that the press(es) are being moved to Morocco draws malign forces out to try to intercept them, to disrupt the High Table's authority and control.

Berrada's connection to the Elder, and the parallels that are seemingly drawn between the Elder and the Old Man of the Mountain (the historical leader of the Hashshasin), could potentially open a path to explore the enigma of the High Table's origins, something which I would love to see as a lore nerd.

Other Locations

Rome: We do focus a little bit on the Rome Continental in Chapter 2, but Rome's manager, Julius, gets very little characterization apart from "knows John" and "is Catholic." (His most significant line of dialogue is asking John, very seriously, "Are you here for the Pope?") While that leaves plenty of openness for story-telling, it also leaves no "hooks" to start with, as with Koji and Sofia. Really the characters in Rome that got the most attention and characterization were Gianna d'Antonio (a member of the High Table) and Cassian (her bodyguard), which could be central to a potential Continental: Rome season, maybe showing how Gianna came to rise to prominence within the Camorra, so that she would inherit its seat at the Table ahead of her brother Santino.

Paris: While no Paris Continental is mentioned or focused upon in Chapter 4, it seems very logical that an important city of culture and commerce like Paris would have a Continental branch of its own. A season set in Paris could put some focus on the rise of the Marquis de Gramont, who was elevated to sit at the High Table just before Chapter 4 began.

London: The only time we see London in the John Wick universe is in the 1970s, very briefly during The Continental's first episode, when a young Winston was concluding a business deal. But, as with Paris, London is a major hub of commerce and culture, and its own gangster history and culture, which could make for an interesting hook for a season. Possible connections with the Kray Twins or other notable London mobsters.

A Short Film Anthology

While The Continental is a good place to build off the universe that Chad Stahelski has built, I also like short film anthologies or series which use a variety of directors/studios and styles. Animated shorts are good for this sort of thing, as demonstrated by Halo Legends, The Animatrix, and series like Star Wars Visions, Love, Death & Robots, and the upcoming Secret Level. I'm not necessarily stating that a John Wick short film anthology need be animated, but I leave it out there as a possibility.

There's plenty of fodder for an anthology, with a few ideas off the top of my head here.

• The Sommelier: This character from Chapter 2, portrayed by Peter Serafinowicz, was very memorable for his one scene. John visits him at the Rome Continental to shop for weapons, which the Sommelier gives euphemistic descriptions of as if John were sampling various wines. ("I know of your past fondness for the German varietals, but I can wholeheartedly endorse the new breed of Austrians.") A short film about him could feature more of this, and maybe showing he is fully capable of handling himself in some ill-advised attempted mugging while off-site.
• The Harbinger: Clancy Brown portrayed this character in Chapter 4, a veteran enforcer of the High Table, being a bearer of bad news and overseer of duels. He's missing his ring finger, which indicates he had crossed the Table at some point and had to cut it off to re-dedicate his loyalty. A short about him could tell the story of how he came back into the fold and what he needed to do to demonstrate his dedication.
• The Tracker: Shamier Anderson's character in Chapter 4, also known as "Mr. Nobody," established himself very early in the film as a skilled operative, capable of tracking down John regardless of where he goes, utilizing surprisingly low-tech means of keeping tabs on things, and despite being an antagonistic character (he is pursuing John for his bounty), he's got his redeeming qualities. (He loves his dog.) He's a big question mark, being deliberately evasive about his identity ("I'm nobody.") and how he comes by his intel and skills, and needs to be featured in any future John Wick material. A short featuring one of his earlier jobs prior to Chapter 4 would be ideal, perhaps even finishing with his receiving word about John's bounty.
• The Cleaner: In Chapter 1, our first inkling of the wider criminal underworld outside the Russian mob that John used to work for comes in the form of Charlie and his cleaning crew. Euphemistically called upon to fulfill "dinner reservations," Charlie's a professional whose crew is tasked with cleaning up bodies and removing evidence from the scene of a crime. He doesn't have a lot of dialog, but his calm and almost serene demeanor speaks to someone who has Seen Some Shit and doesn't get fazed by it anymore. A short focusing on him and his crew, perhaps even in the wake of John's acts in Chapter 2, might make for good material.
• The Bouncer: Francis was a bouncer at the Red Circle nightclub in Chapter 1, portrayed by former WWE wrestler Kevin Nash. John gets the drop on him, holding a gun to his head, but they exchange pleasantries ("You've lost weight?" "Almost sixty pounds." "Yeah? Impressive.") before John tells him to take the night off. I saw a Reddit comment recently about what could happen when Francis got home, with his wife angrily going off about how he walked off the job and how they need the money, etc., with him just silently taking it all while pouring himself a stiff drink. And when she finally finishes her rant and asks what prompted him to leave the job, he simply slams back his drink and answers, "John Wick." To which she goes silent, before tearfully embracing him, grateful that he's still alive. It would be greatly amusing to see this shown in live action.

Conclusion

The John Wick franchise did much to reignite Keanu Reeves' career, and prompted other media of a similar bent-- ill-informed criminals drawing the ire of a retired killer-- with movies such as Nobody. The franchise continues to do well, and hopefully we'll see more in the universe created by Chad Stahelski to come, outside of Under the High Table and The Ballerina.