Derek Kolstad is an American screenwriter and film producer, best known as the creator of the John Wick franchise. Born on April 4, 1974, in Madison, Wisconsin, he developed an early interest in film and screenwriting, which eventually led him to move to California at age 24 to pursue a career in the industry.
Kolstad struggled initially to break into Hollywood, but sold his first script, Acolyte, in 2012. He went on to write for several direct-to-video action films, including One in the Chamber and The Package, both featuring Dolph Lundgren. His big break came when he sold a script titled Scorn, which was later rebranded John Wick after Keanu Reeves was cast and pushed for the name change. The character’s name was inspired by Kolstad’s maternal grandfather.
John Wick (2014) became a surprise hit and redefined modern action cinema with its stylized choreography and world-building. Kolstad wrote the next two installments—Chapter 2 (2017) and Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)—and helped expand the franchise into other media, including video games and comic books. Despite his central role in shaping the John Wick universe, he was not invited to return as writer for Chapter 4 or any subsequent entries.
Outside of John Wick, Kolstad has contributed to various action-driven projects in film and television, building a reputation for crafting sleek, character-driven action narratives.
