The Continental: From The World Of John Wick Easter Eggs not only reference the popular franchise, but there are many that reference the 1970s as well.
Set in the 1970s, The Continental: From The World Of John Wick is a prequel to the popular franchise. It contains a multitude of John Wick Easter Eggs, but also Easter Eggs relating to many films from that era. During the press day for the three part event, the creators reveal their favorites.
Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Continental: From The World Of John Wick would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.
The Continental Creators Reveal Favorite John Wick Easter Eggs
Executive Producer Basil Iwanyk admits that he loves that John Wick’s car makes an appearance in The Continental. He explains that when they first gave him the car, it was a cool looking car, but they had no idea just how iconic it would become. “To get a sense of that this car wasn’t just a random event in John’s life. All of a sudden you watch the first movie again and go oh, this is cool. There’s meaning to this.” Basil goes on to admit that he can’t even count how many rich Hollywood people called him and asked to buy John Wick’s car.
Executive Producer Erica Lee says that one of her favorite Easter Eggs that links to the John Wick franchise is the coin press. The gold coins have always been such a cool and unique concept, when it comes to the buy in of how you get into the world. “I think learning how you get into the hotel when KD enters, and uses the gold coins, and then ultimately finding out about the coin press and how the currency is manufactured, is really fun.”
EP/Director Albert Hughes admits that he had a lot of fun including things from the, at the time, three John Wick films. He claims he studied the films, which he had already seen in the theater, to come up with some fun ideas. He says there are a variety of John Wick Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout all three parts of The Continental: From The World Of John Wick. There are ones that casual fans will know, hardcore fans will know, and even some really deep cuts.
One of Albert’s favorite Easter Eggs within this series is the license plate on The Adjudicator’s car. It is SW-FLTY. Show Filty. Keep your eyes peeled for that one. In episode one, there is a Marilyn Monroe poster (which is not an intended Easter Egg for Ana de Armas). There are a lot of Winston lines that will be obvious to John Wick fans. “Then there’s more subtle ones that I don’t reveal, just let’s see if they figure it out.”
Albert goes on to talk about the nods to ’70s movies that are included in The Continental: From The World Of John Wick. Movies like Taxi Driver, French Connection, and The Conformist. There is an exact replica taxi from Taxi Driver, and the car from Starsky and Hutch. “And then we laid in some things that Kirk and I loved from my childhood television commercials.”
Keep your eyes peeled for even more Easter Eggs when you watch! The Continental: From The World Of John Wick Night 1 premieres Friday, September 22 on Peacock, followed by Night 2 airing September 29 and Night 3 airing October 6.
NEXT: The Creator Director Gareth Edwards Reveals Inspirations
About The Continental: From The World Of John Wick
The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.
The Continental: From The World Of John Wick Night 1 premieres Friday, September 22 on Peacock, followed by Night 2 airing September 29 and Night 3 airing October 6.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.