One of the best things about the John Wick film franchise is the way the films have done their worldbuilding. An entire subculture of hired killers exists just under the surface of the world we all know, with their own organizations, their own hotels, and even their own currency. It's the sort of world that fans might want to experience for themselves, fictionally, of course, and soon they'll be able to do just that thanks to a forthcoming John Wick themed roller coaster.
John Wick: Open Contract is set to open in 2021 at the Motiongate theme park in Dubai, and while a massive indoor roller coaster is probably enough to get both attraction fans and John Wick fans seriously excited, Lionsgate's executive vice president and head of global live, interactive and location-based entertainment, Jenefer Brown, tells Variety that what will really be amazing is the structure the coaster is built within, a fully realized Continental Hotel. According to Brown...
I think what’s going to be amazing for fans is to have the opportunity to walk through the lobby of the Continental and experience different key moments in the settings that took place in the films. This attraction in particular is really about setting the story by putting people in this very immersive environment, and then you really get the action as you get on the coaster. It’s 10 stories high, so there’s definitely a level of intensity that’s befitting of the John Wick franchise that guests will experience.
As somebody who might love the themeing of many theme park attractions more than the attractions themselves, I love this idea. I for one am hoping that the Continental Hotel building doesn't only contain the roller coaster, but also some sort of bar or table service restaurant, where they give you gold coins to pay for everything.
The filmmakers of the John Wick franchise are involved in developing this new attraction and while it's unclear if Keanu Reeves himself or other actors in the franchise will appear, we're seeing more and more celebrities become part of theme park attractions so it seems likely that at least some familiar faces will appear. Perhaps Ian McShane will welcome us all to the Continental himself.
The roller coaster is also unique in that it will have two entirely separate tracks. One queue will ally you with John Wick as a bunch of assassins try to kill him. The other will make you one of the assassins gunning for him.
Of course, the one downside to all this awesome stuff is that one has to travel to Dubai in order to experience John Wick: Open Contract and that's probably not something that's super easy for those of us in North America. Still, if you happen to find yourself in that neck of the woods, then a trip to the Motiongate theme park is probably in order, especially after this new attraction opens sometime next year.
