Derek Kolstad Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate‘s female-driven John Wick spinoff Ballerina has added David Castañeda (The Umbrella Academy) and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education) to its cast amid reshoots abroad, Deadline can reveal.

Katcy Stephan Lionsgate‘s “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas, has been pushed to 2025. Rupert Sanders’ “The Crow” remake will take over its release date of June 7, 2024, while “Ballerina” will bow on June 6, 2025. Studio insiders say Chad Stahelski, who oversees the “John Wick” franchise along with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee at Thunder Road, is working closely with “Ballerina” director Len Wiseman on additional action sequences for the film.

This is an interesting package: Deadline reports that Bob Odenkirk will star in Ben Wheatley‘s next film, “Normal,” with a script from “Nobody” writer Derek Kolstad. For those who don’t remember, Odenkirk starred in the 2021 actioner as a John Wick-type ex-assassin who comes out of retirement to take down bad guys.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with action franchise smash John Wick: Chapter 4. The fourth installment in the Chad Stahelski-directed series was penned by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch (based on characters created by Derek Kolstad) in their first turn with Baba Yaga — even if the titular revenge artist, played by Keanu Reeves, speaks only 380 words of dialogue.

Ethan Shanfeld Dust off those joysticks: Sega is rebooting a handful of retro franchises including Crazy Taxi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio and Shinobi. The Japanese gaming giant announced the new initiative, which will “revive a number of IPs as all-new video games, developed for today’s audiences,” Dec. 7 at the Game Awards.

EXCLUSIVE: Story Kitchen has partnered with Monomi Park to adapt the hit videogame franchise, Slime Rancher into a feature film.

Sophia Scorziello editor Peacock has released the official trailer for “The Continental,” the latest addition to the “John Wick” franchise. The Mel Gibson-led miniseries is a prequel to the films starring Keanu Reeves, and centers around Winston Scott (Colin Woodell), who came to acquire The Continental, a notorious chain of hotels that Scott established as a neutral haven for housing assassins. “The Continental” is an enthralling ode to New York in the 1970s, featuring Donna Summer songs, Studio 54-esque club scenes and lots and lots of guns against the backdrop of the city’s dark and dirty streets.

Fueled by the strong performance of John Wick: Chapter 4, Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise has crossed the $1B mark at the worldwide box office. The Keanu Reeves-led series’ total take to date now stands at $1,011,319,297 global.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer “Floyd,” an original action feature centered around a Latino veteran described as “John Wick” meets “The Big Lebowski,” is currently in development. Erik Olsen (“The Dirt,” “The Book of Eli”) is writing the script and will produce the project with Navid Mcllhargey. Story Kitchen, a media company focused on world-building and untapped intellectual property rights, is on board to produce the project with Exile Content Studio. The Los Angeles-set story will follow a former marine given the nickname Floyd by his corps. Marine vet William Brownleefe will serve as a co-producer and consultant.

McKinley Franklin author It’s time to check into “The Continental.” The world of “John Wick” is expanding with the upcoming prequel series “The Continental” — which doesn’t include Keanu Reeves’ staple character, but after seeing the first trailer, it looks like the action-packed show may not need him anyway. “The Continental” is a prequel miniseries based on the four main “John Wick” movies. The original set of films, including last month’s “John Wick 4,” follows Reeves’ ex-hitman character, John Wick, who comes out of retirement on a quest for bloody vengeance. “The Continental” will give audiences a glimpse into the early “John Wick” universe before the timeline of the first film with its three episodes. The show will premiere on Peacock in September. 

It’s undeniable that Keanu Reeves, director Chad Stahelski and screenwriter/creator Derek Kolstad have put together one hell of a crowd-pleasing action franchise with the quadrilogy of “John Wick” films that keep turning out to be financial successes for Lionsgate. As the prospect of “John Wick 5” is less clear despite the strong box office returns of the recent installment, they are going to keep fans happy with a handful of spinoffs on the way, including the series prequel “The Continental” that is expected to debut this September and a feature film starring Ana de Armas as Rooney, an assassin/ballerina from Wick’s criminal syndicate (The Ruska Roma) looking for revenge after hitmen kill her family.

John Wick: Chapter 4 landed in cinemas last week, with Keanu Reeves reprising the titular role once again on the big screen.Directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, the action-thriller follows Wick as he “uncovers a path to defeating the High Table”.“But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes,” a synopsis about the new movie adds.You can watch the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below.The John Wick franchise currently consists of four movies. The series kicked off with John Wick in October 2014, before John Wick: Chapter 2 followed in February 2017 – both films were written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Stahelski (with the original also featuring co-director David Leitch).John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum was then released in May 2019 with Stahelski once again directing, while the script was handled by Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Derek Kolstad — the writer-producer best known for architecting the John Wick and Nobody action franchises — for representation in all areas.

EXCLUSIVE: Talent management firm One Entertainment is joining forces with Talent Management and Production Company Circle of Confusion. The two will merge under Circle’s banner.

EXCLUSIVE: Following a competitive pursuit, Story Kitchen, has partnered with Sloclap to adapt their hot new hit videogame, SIFU, into a Live-Action feature film with Story Kitchen partner Derek Kolstad adapting the script.

Derek Kolstad and Lionsgate already have a great working relationship thanks to the “John Wick” franchise. And that series shows no signs of slowing down, with “John Wick: Chapter 4” hitting theaters on March 24, 2023 and two spinoffs, Les Wiseman‘s “Ballerina” with Ana de Armas and the Starz prequel “The Continental,” also on the way.

Lionsgate has landed the motion picture adaption of the hit Sega videogame phenomenon “Streets of Rage,” according to an individual with knowledge of the project.“John Wick” writer Derek Kolstad is penning the adaptation and producing alongside Sega’s Toru Nakahara, dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Timothy I.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has acquired the feature adaptation of hit Sega video game Streets of Rage which John Wick franchise scribe Derek Kolstad is writing and producing alongside the videogame brand’s Toru Nakahara, dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Timothy I. Stevenson, and Dan Jevons, and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw. Deadline first told you about the project.

Derek Kolstad, the writer and creator of the “John Wick” action franchise, Dmitri M. Johnson, a producer on “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and Mike Goldberg, a partner with agency APA, have together launched a new media company called Story Kitchen focused on franchise building.

John Wick writer-creator Derek Kolstad, Sonic the Hedgehog producer Dmitri M. Johnson and former APA partner Mike Goldberg have joined forces to form Story Kitchen, a media company that will be hyperfocused on the creation and amplification of “world-building action” and “non-traditional intellectual property.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Derek Kolstad and Dmitri M. Johnson are teaming to launch the media company Story Kitchen, with APA partner Mike Goldberg exiting the agency to join the duo as a co-founder of the new company. Goldberg previously represented Kolstad and Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment during his time at APA. Goldberg’s clients are expected to stay with the agency. In addition, Dan Jevons, Tim Stevenson and Howard Bliss of dj2 will be joining Story Kitchen in senior leadership roles. All current dj2 projects will continue to be handled by Johnson and dj2, with new projects being handled by Story Kitchen. According to Story Kitchen, the company will focus on “the creation -and amplification- of ‘World-Building Action’ and ‘Non-Traditional Intellectual Property’. If all the world’s a stage, Story Kitchen aims to be the Shakespearean leader in Gun-Fu, Popcorn-Fu and Controller-Fu.”

Lance Reddick’s character); Peter Greene, who dons the fedora of Uncle Charlie (based on the tight-lipped body disposal expert); Mel Gibson as Cormac; Ben Robson as Frankie; Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles; Jessica Allain as Lou; Mishel Prada as KD; and Nhung Kate as Yen. Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward serve as writers and showrunners on “The Continental” and also executive produce alongside Albert Hughes, Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, Shawn Simmons, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese and Marshall Persinger. Albert Hughes directs the first and third nights and Charlotte Brandstrom directs the second night. “The John Wick films have become a global phenomenon, are among the most watched titles on Peacock and we are thrilled and honored to partner with Lionsgate to extend this incredible franchise,” said Kelly Campbell, president, Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterParamount snagged the rights to “Stray,” an action movie from “John Wick” mastermind Derek Kolstad.Kolstad is writing the screenplay for the film, which is set to star “Masters of the Universe” actor Kyle Allen. A director has not been attached.

first look image at John Wick 4 earlier this week, the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Keanu Reeves film has been released.Released during San Diego Comic Con on July 24, the short trailer is packed with the explosive action that fans of the franchise have come to expect. The teaser also poses a major question for Wick who has been trying to leave the world of assassination behind since the first film: “Have you given any thought to where this ends?”The teaser, titled ‘Sneak Peek’, sees Wick face off against new villains like Donnie Yen and Bill Skarsgård.

When you think of “John Wick,” it’s impossible to imagine anyone else other than Keanu Reeves in the title role. In the three films already released, Reeves has crafted an original character that has broken through and become part of the cultural zeitgeist, which is becoming increasingly difficult to do.

Keanu Reeves has played the iconic action hero John Wick for nearly a decade, but the role was originally meant to be written for an older actor such as Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford.  One of the "John Wick" producers, Basil Iwanyk, revealed in the new book, "They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action," by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, that the legendary assassin was supposed to be played by a 75-year-old man.  Iwanyk said in the book that one of his best friends sent him a script from Derek Kolstad — the creator of the "John Wick" franchise — according to Entertainment Weekly.  "The lead was a 75-year-old man, 25 years after being retired.

John Wick had originally imagined Keanu Reeves’ character as a 75-year-old man.Franchise producer Basil Iwanyk discussed the titular role’s origins in new book They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action.“One of my best friends is Charlie Ferraro at United Talent Agency, who sent me this script from [screenwriter] Derek Kolstad called Scorn,” Iwanyk said, per The Independent. “The lead was a 75-year-old man, 25 years after being retired.“It was the fun of watching Clint Eastwood kick ass.

Zack Sharf Keanu Reeves has turned John Wick into an iconic action here over the last seven years, but it turns out the role was originally written for an actor more in the vein of Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood. Franchise producer Basil Iwanyk confirms in the new book “They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action” that the title character was a 75-year-old man in the original script.“One of my best friends is Charlie Ferraro at UTA, who sent me this script from Derek Kolstad called ‘Scorn,'” says Iwanyk in the book (via Entertainment Weekly).

Joey King isn’t messing around in the first trailer for the new 20th Century Studios film “The Princess.”In the trailer, which you can watch above, King plays a strong-willed princess whose father tries to force her to marry a cruel sociopath. When she refuses, she’s kidnapped and locked in a remote tower of her father’s castle.

EXCLUSIVE: Rivulet Films has picked up John Wick writer Derek Kolstad’s original screenplay Acolyte and will finance and produce the project alongside Swiss distributor-producer Ascot Elite Entertainment.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDerek Kolstad is teaming with Magic Machine and animation company Titmouse to write an animated series based on the NFT fantasy property “Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult,” Variety has learned exclusively.Kolstad will write and executive produce the eight-episode series, with each episode being one hour. Titmouse’s Chris Prynoski as well as Magic Machine’s @ElfJTrul, @Dotta and @BearSnake will also executive produce.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of its success with Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog films, SEGA has another franchise coming to the big screen with beat ’em up game Streets of Rage getting the film treatment, sources tell Deadline. Derek Kolstad, who created the John Wick action franchise and penned the Bob Odenkirk actioner Nobody, wrote the script.

Joey King’s upcoming film “The Princess” has a premiere date on Hulu.The film, from 20th Century Studios, will drop July 1.No ordinary story about a princess, King’s film is described as an “action-packed fight to the death set in a fairy tale world.”Here’s the film’s logline: When a beautiful, strong-willed princess refuses to wed the cruel sociopath to whom she is betrothed, she is kidnapped and locked in a remote tower of her father’s castle. With her scorned, vindictive suitor intent on taking her father’s throne, the princess must protect her family and save the kingdom.Le-Van Kiet directed the film.

EXCLUSIVE: Katie McGrath (Supergirl), Ray McKinnon (Rectify) Adam Shapiro (Never Have I Ever), Mark Musashi (Fear of the Walking Dead) and Marina Mazepa (Malignant) have been cast opposite Colin Woodell and Mel Gibson in Starz’s The Continental, the prequel to the Keanu Reeves film series John Wick. The Continental will be presented as a three-night special-event TV series, produced for Starz by Lionsgate Television.

Gerard Butler is keeping busy!

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a hot one for action aficionados. Gerard Butler (Greenland) is eyeing the starring role in heist thriller movie Just Watch Me, which John Wick creator and Nobody scribe Derek Kolstand is set to script from the novel by Jeff Lindsay (Dexter).