{{short description|American screenwriter (born 1974)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Derek Kolstad | image = File:Derek Kolstad at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival for Normal (cropped).jpg | caption = Kolstad in 2025 | 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|''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 [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] at first.<ref name="Madison">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.</ref>
===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 (2013 film) |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 (film)|John Wick]]'' after the [[title character]],<ref name="Slash">{{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}}</ref> whom Kolstad had named after his maternal grandfather.<ref name="PasadenaMag" /> The film was released in 2014 and was followed by ''[[John Wick: Chapter 2]]'' in 2017 and ''[[John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum]]'' in 2019.<ref name ="Flicker">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.</ref> Kolstad wrote the video game ''John Wick: Chronicles'' and was involved with the creation of a comic book series.<ref name="Hollywood">{{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}}</ref> However, he was not asked by the studio to continue writing for the [[John Wick: Chapter 4|fourth]] or subsequent films.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 2017, it was reported that Kolstad would write a live-action television adaptation of the [[Hitman (franchise)|''Hitman'' franchise]] as well as an action-thriller titled ''The Steward''.<ref>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.</ref><ref>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.</ref><ref>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.</ref> In 2019, it was reported that Kolstad would write and produce a live-action film adaptation of the ''[[Just Cause (video game series)|Just Cause]]'' franchise.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2020, [[Netflix]] announced that Kolstad would be an executive producer and writer on a [[Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell|''Splinter Cell'']] [[anime]] series.<ref name="splinter">{{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 (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 30, 2020 }}</ref> In 2021, Kolstad was hired to write the screenplay for a live-action adaptation of ''[[Hellsing]]'' for [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Kolstad wrote the screenplay for the 2021 film ''[[Nobody (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.<ref name="PasadenaMag">{{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}}</ref>
== Filmography == Also credited as "characters created" in the [[John Wick|''John Wick'' franchise]].
'''Film''' {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Writer ! Producer ! Director |- | 2012 | ''[[One in the Chamber]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | William Kaufman |- | 2013 | ''[[The Package (2013 film)|The Package]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | [[Jesse V. Johnson]] |- | 2014 | ''[[John Wick (film)|John Wick]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | [[Chad Stahelski]]<br>[[David Leitch]] |- | 2017 | ''[[John Wick: Chapter 2]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} |rowspan=2|Chad Stahelski |- | 2019 | ''[[John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | 2021 | ''[[Nobody (2021 film)|Nobody]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | [[Ilya Naishuller]] |- | 2025 | ''[[Nobody 2]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | [[Timo Tjahjanto]] |- | rowspan="2" | 2026 | ''[[Normal (2025 film)|Normal]]'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | [[Ben Wheatley]] |- | ''[[Painter (upcoming film)|Painter]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Garrett Warren |}
'''Television''' {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Year(s) ! Title ! Writer ! Executive<br>producer ! Notes |- | 2020 | ''[[Die Hart]]'' | {{yes|Story}} | {{no}} | Also creator<ref name="splinter" /> |- | 2021 | ''[[The Falcon and the Winter Soldier]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Co-executive}} | Episodes "[[Power Broker (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)|Power Broker]]" and "[[The Whole World Is Watching (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)|The Whole World Is Watching]]"<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><!-- Obtained from the media kit site on Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution https://dmedmedia.disney.com/disney-plus/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier --> |- | 2023 | ''[[The Continental: From the World of John Wick]]'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |- | 2025–present | ''[[Splinter Cell: Deathwatch]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also creator |}
'''Documentary appearance''' * ''[[Wick Is Pain]]'' (2025)
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|4401003}}
{{John Wick}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolstad, Derek}} [[Category:1974 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American people of Swedish descent]] [[Category:Writers from Pasadena, California]] [[Category:Writers from Madison, Wisconsin]] [[Category:Taylor University alumni]]