Winston — the linchpin of the John Wick universe — is not only getting an origin series on Peacock exploring his younger days, he’ll also appear in spin-off movie Ballerina. There, the de facto Continental boss will be played by Ian McShane, who originated the character opposite Keanu Reeves in 2014’s John Wick.
Len Wiseman (Underworld) is directing Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas (Knives Out, No Time to Die) as the title character, from a script by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum). The film entered production this week and is produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski.
Fans of the Winston character have a lot to look forward to, even before this news was announced. We knew that Colin Woodell would be playing him in The Continental, a 1970s-set spin-off series co-starring Ayomide Adegun as a younger version of Charon, played by Lance Reddick in the John Wick films. It will focus on how Winston and Charon were involved in the establishment of the assassin-hub luxury hotel. McShane, whose take on the character was last seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, will next appear in in John Wick: Chapter 4.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will hit movie theatres on March 23, 2023; Peacock series The Continental is also due in 2023. So far there’s no release date locked down for Ballerina.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.