John Wick’s Ian McShane brutally roasts The Continental spinoff as a “cash grab”

Ian McShane isn’t a fan of how the John Wick series was spun off with Prime Video’s The Continental, slamming the series as a mere “cash grab” in a recent interview.

What began as a simple tale of a man seeking vengeance for his dog has quickly escalated into one of the hottest properties of the generation. John Wick has now seen four mainline films hit big screens around the globe, but the franchise is only just beginning.

From spinoff shows to spinoff movies, and a fifth entry seemingly inevitable too, there’s plenty more in the works to keep the John Wick name afloat in the coming years. However, it seems not all of these projects are striking a chord with those involved.

Recently, Ian McShane, responsible for bringing Winston Scott to life, revealed he wasn’t consulted on his character’s prequel show The Continental. “They never asked anybody about it,” he claimed. “They just went and did it.”

Now, days after those comments, the acclaimed actor has doubled down in tearing into the Prime Video series, labeling it nothing more than a mere “cash grab.”

“I wouldn’t watch it,” McShane said in an interview with MovieWeb. “I have no intentions – nobody – I don’t think Keanu [Reeves] watched it, neither has Chad [Stahelski]. It had nothing to do with our movies.”

Evidently not a fan of the show itself nor the motivations behind it, McShane slammed the spinoff as an example of a “company cashing in on the series.”

“They never asked us about anything so why would I be interested in seeing it? I’m afraid their arrogance in getting the show out is beyond me so I wish them well.”

A divisive series, the prequel set in the 1970s told the story of McShane’s character, Winston Scott, and his ascension to authority within The Continental. However, it now seems clear as day the original actor was never asked to share insight with Colin Woodell as he portrayed a younger version.

While The Continental may not have landed quite as series executives hoped, that hasn’t put a stop to future plans. Ballerina, a spinoff film led by Ana De Armas, was just delayed until 2025 so they could get the action scenes just right, in true John Wick fashion.

Beyond that, all signs point to John Wick 5 happening down the line, though there’s no telling for certain how it may come to fruition.