Derek Kolstad

Biography

Derek Kolstad is the American screenwriter and producer credited with revitalizing the "gun-fu" action subgenre. A Madison, Wisconsin native, Kolstad’s rise is a legendary "rags-to-riches" Hollywood tale; after years of working odd jobs in sales and pursuing screenwriting with little success, he was on the verge of quitting when his wife encouraged him to give it one last shot. The result was the script for Scorn, which was eventually renamed John Wick after Kolstad’s own grandfather. The success of the John Wick franchise transformed Kolstad into one of the most sought-after writers in the industry. He specializes in intricate "world-building" and characters who possess a specialized, often lethal set of skills hidden beneath a mundane exterior. His previous collaboration with Bob Odenkirk on Nobody (2021) was a massive success, and with Normal, Kolstad returns to his favorite trope: an unassuming hero forced to dismantle a corrupt system through sheer, calculated violence.

Known For

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