He may not be helming a four-part documentary series exposing a worldwide $34 billion trafficking operation, but Mel Gibson has nonetheless found himself in the thick of controversy yet again due to his involvement in upcoming three-part prequel series The Continental: From the World of John Wick.
The polarizing actor and filmmaker will take top billing as the villain of the 1970s-set episodic action thriller as the current incumbent of the top job at the titular New York hotel, where we can expect him to be dislodged by the time the story finishes given that the entire story revolves around Colin Woodell’s young Winston rising to power.
Even though he was omitted entirely from the first teaser trailer, Gibson’s name alone was more than enough to ensure a lot of people swore off even considering adding The Continental to their watch-list based on the numerous inflammatory incidents over the years. In an interview with IGN, though, producer Albert Hughes addressed the backlash to the two-time Academy Award winner’s casting, admitting that it barely even crossed his mind.
“No. I think he fit the role, he fit what we needed based on his film past. And I’ll leave others to debate the other stuff because it’s not a black-and-white issue, and I don’t want to be sound-bited and clickbait. That’s a tricky game to get into. I have my own personal beliefs in life and whatnot about everything, but I’m here to entertain. And earlier in my career I wasn’t so careful. But there’s a weight that he brought, the stuff that he brought from his past roles and what he has done that we needed for this role. And I don’t think anybody could have fit better, let’s put it that way, just with his chops and his experience.”
The prospect of Mel Gibson channeling Donald Trump as the big bad of a John Wick prequel is fascinating to some and unpalatable to others, but we’ll find out if his presence affects the viewing numbers when The Continental premieres on September 22.