Derek Kolstad

Derek Kolstad (born April 4, 1974) is an American screenwriter and film producer. He is the creator of the ''John Wick'' franchise, which began in 2014. He continued to write for the first two sequels of the franchise and is mainly known as a screenwriter of action films and shows.

Biography

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Kolstad attended Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart and later studied business administration at Taylor University in Indiana. He moved to California at age 24 to pursue screenwriting. He says he started writing films when he was a teenager, but he struggled to find success in Hollywood at first.Doug Moe
Doug Moe: John Wick, hit man
Madison.com, January 6, 2014.

Career

The first script he sold was called ''Acolyte'', which was purchased by Voltage Pictures in June 2012. After that, he got some writing and re-writing work, including work on '' One in the Chamber'', starring Dolph Lundgren and Cuba Gooding Jr. He then wrote '' The Package'', which also starred Lundgren.

Kolstad sold a script titled ''Scorn'' to Thunder Road Pictures, which signed Keanu Reeves for the lead role in April 2013. At Reeves' suggestion, the film was renamed ''John Wick'' after the title character, whom Kolstad had named after his maternal grandfather. The film was released in 2014 and was followed by '' John Wick: Chapter 2'' in 2017 and '' John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum'' in 2019.Gary Collinson
An interview with Derek Kolstad, screenwriter of John Wick
Flickering Myth, October 24, 2014. Kolstad wrote the video game ''John Wick: Chronicles'' and was involved with the creation of a comic book series. However, he was not asked by the studio to continue writing for the fourth or subsequent films.

In 2017, it was reported that Kolstad would write a live-action television adaptation of the ''Hitman'' franchise as well as an action-thriller titled ''The Steward''. In 2019, it was reported that Kolstad would write and produce a live-action film adaptation of the '' Just Cause'' franchise. In 2020, Netflix announced that Kolstad would be an executive producer and writer on a ''Splinter Cell'' anime series. In 2021, Kolstad was hired to write the screenplay for a live-action adaptation of ''Hellsing'' for Amazon Prime Video.

Kolstad wrote the screenplay for the 2021 film ''Nobody'' starring Bob Odenkirk, and two episodes of the 2021 Marvel television series ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier''.

Personal life

Kolstad lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Sonja and twin children.

Filmography

Film writer

Also credited as "characters created" in the ''John Wick'' franchise.

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolstad, Derek
1974 births
Living people
American people of Swedish descent
Writers from Pasadena, California
Writers from Madison, Wisconsin
Taylor University alumni