Derek Kolstad

{{Infobox person

| name = Derek Kolstad

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|04|04}}

| birth_place = Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.

| occupation = {{hlist|Screenwriter|film producer}}

| years_active =

| known_for = Creator of the John Wick franchise

| style = Action thriller films

}}

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, [http://host.madison.com/print_only/columnist/doug-moe-john-wick-hit-man/article_f9b87a65-abeb-5baa-b5cd-2812c794d854.html?mobile_touch=true 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,{{cite web |last1=Giroux |first1=Jack |title=Interview: 'John Wick: Chapter 2' Screenwriter Derek Kolstad on Expanding the World and Paying Homage to 'Open Range' |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/john-wick-chapter-2-screenwriter-derek-kolstad-interview/ |website=/Film |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111139/http://www.slashfilm.com/john-wick-chapter-2-screenwriter-derek-kolstad-interview/ |archivedate=June 15, 2018 |date=February 10, 2017 |url-status=live}} 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, [https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/10/interview-derek-kolstad-screenwriter-john-wick/ 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.{{Cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=June 1, 2017 |title='John Wick 3' Brings Back Writer Derek Kolstad (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-wick-3-brings-back-writer-derek-kolstad-1009145/ |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} However, he was not asked by the studio to continue writing for the fourth or subsequent films.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/john-wick-creator-not-involved-sequels-1234625400/|title='John Wick' Creator says Studio Making Next Sequels Without Him: 'It Wasn't My Decision'|last=Sharf|first=Zack|website=IndieWire|date=March 23, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2021}}

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.Dave McNary, [https://variety.com/2017/film/news/derek-kolstad-the-steward-john-wick-1202470314/ ‘John Wick’ Writer Derek Kolstad Sets up ‘The Steward’ With Cristal Pictures], Variety, June 19, 2017.James White, [https://www.empireonline.com/movies/john-wick/hitman-targets-tv-relaunch-john-wick-derek-kolstad/ Hitman Targets A TV Relaunch With John Wick's Derek Kolstad], Empire, November 13, 2017.Borys Kit, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-wick-3-brings-back-writer-derek-kolstad-1009145 'John Wick 3' Brings Back Writer Derek Kolstad], Hollywood Reporter, June 1, 2017. In 2019, it was reported that Kolstad would write and produce a live-action film adaptation of the Just Cause franchise.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-wick-writer-derek-kolstad-tackling-just-cause-video-game-adaptation-1212417 |title='John Wick' Writer Derek Kolstad Tackling 'Just Cause' Video Game Adaptation |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 21, 2019 |language=en |access-date=May 21, 2019}} In 2020, Netflix announced that Kolstad would be an executive producer and writer on a Splinter Cell anime series.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/splinter-cell-animated-series-netflix-1234612535/|title='Splinter Cell' Anime Series From 'John Wick' Writer Derek Kolstad Set at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)|accessdate=July 31, 2020|website=Variety|date=July 30, 2020 }} In 2021, Kolstad was hired to write the screenplay for a live-action adaptation of Hellsing for Amazon Prime Video.{{Cite web|title=Amazon Develops Live-Action Hellsing Film With John Wick Writer|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-03-04/amazon-develops-live-action-hellsing-film-with-john-wick-writer/.170256|access-date=April 26, 2021|website=Anime News Network|language=en}}

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

Personal life

Kolstad lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Sonja and twin children.{{Cite magazine |title=How Pasadena Resident and John Wick Creator Derek Kolstad Achieved "Overnight" Success After 20 Years |url=https://pasadenamag.com/feature/how-pasadena-resident-and-john-wick-creator-derek-kolstad-achieved-overnight-success-after-20-years/ |last=Carlson |first=Julie |magazine=Pasadena Magazine |issue=March/April 2020 |date=April 21, 2020 |access-date=July 2, 2021}}

Filmography

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

Film writer

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! Year

! Title

! Director

! Notes

2012

| One in the Chamber

| William Kaufman

2013

| The Package

| Jesse V. Johnson

2014

| John Wick

| Chad Stahelski
David Leitch

2017

| John Wick: Chapter 2

|rowspan=2| Chad Stahelski

2019

| John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

2021

| Nobody

| Ilya Naishuller

| Also executive producer

2025

| Nobody 2

| Timo Tjahjanto

| Post-production

TBA

| Normal

| Ben Wheatley

| Filming

Television

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! Year(s)

! Title

! Executive
producer

! Writer

! Notes

2020

|Die Hart

| {{no}}

| {{yes|Story}}

| Also creator

2021

| The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

| {{yes|Co-executive}}

| {{yes}}

| Episodes: "Power Broker" and "The Whole World Is Watching"{{Cite web |title=The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Production Brief |url=https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/the_falcon_and_the_winter_soldier_production_brief_fina_875edcc9.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315172004/https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/the_falcon_and_the_winter_soldier_production_brief_fina_875edcc9.pdf |archive-date=March 15, 2021 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |publisher=Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution}}

2023

| The Continental: From the World of John Wick

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

TBA

| Splinter Cell: Deathwatch

| {{yes}}

| Also creator

Other

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! Year

! Title