The Reason John Wick Fans Will Be Hooked On Most Dangerous Game
This content was paid for by Quibi and created by Looper.
Not all action media is created equal — a select few shows or films break away from the crowded field and move the genre forward. A fine example is the John Wick trilogy, which began in 2014 and has since developed a loyal fan following. It's so popular that it is already beginning to influence future works, like Quibi's hit miniseries Most Dangerous Game.
Kicking off in April 2020 with 15 binge-worthy episodes, Most Dangerous Game is based on the Richard Connell work of the same name, which was published in 1924. The cast is especially stacked, bringing Liam Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz, Sarah Gadon, and others into the fold.
The series is an adaptation at its core, but its borrowing is not limited to the book version of The Most Dangerous Game. Quibi's offering looked to its companions in the genre, taking bits and pieces from some of the best Hollywood has to offer, John Wick among them.
Jimmy Akingbola, who plays Carter in Most Dangerous Game, recently chatted with indieLONDON about a variety of topics. During the interview, he discussed his time working on the Quibi series, and what gives its story such an entertaining edge. He also cued John Wick fans into the specifics of why this is the show for them.
How Most Dangerous Game is reminiscent of John Wick and The Running Man
According to Akingbola, Most Dangerous Game takes heavy inspiration from some classic action movies. During his interview with indieLONDON, he calls it, "...a bit like a combination of two films, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) meets Running Man (Arnold Schwarzenegger)." Both films center around a singular hero who is trying to evade death at the hands of multiple assassins — similarly to Most Dangerous Game. The combat is intense, the stakes are high, and the whole situation is deadly. The premise worked on the big screen, and it is proven to do so on television too.
Although Akingbola didn't reveal much about the show, he did mention that, "It stars Christoph Waltz, who plays a billionaire who enlists a desperate man, Dodge (Liam Hemsworth), into a deadly game of survival." Most Dangerous Game sounds as if it's not for the faint of heart, supplying droves of drama, tension, and perhaps even some anxiety as Dodge attempts to take down the people hunting him. Naturally, the show sounds like it would be right up the alley of John Wick fans patiently waiting for the fourth installment in that franchise. After all, in the second movie, Wick is on the run from an entire organization of assassins looking to cash in on the hefty bounty on his head. Along the way, he mows down everyone who opposes him with whatever weaponry he can get his hands on, not unlike Dodge Tynes.
The length of each episode keeps Most Dangerous Game fresh
As it's a Quibi program, Most Dangerous Game's episodes clock in around the 9-minute mark. Akingbola assures viewers that the brief run times are actually a good thing. "If anything, it makes you be more 'in the moment' and not allow yourself to become too self-indulgent, which I think helps the editors and makes the scenes have the right energy and pace," he says.
Given the high-intensity nature of Most Dangerous Game, losing that energy would significantly impact the finished product. Keeping the production tight and precise strengthens the impact of the performances and the action sequences in the long run, not to mention giving the folks in the editing room a lighter workda, which contributes to the raw feeling of the show.
Most Dangerous Game is currently streaming exclusively on Quibi and is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of John Wick-style action.