A screenwriter alleges that the premise of the John Wick<\/em><\/a> franchise was lifted from his original work.<\/p>\n Jeffery Ryan Wicker has sued writer Derek Kolstad, who wrote the screenplays for John Wick<\/em> and John Wick: Chapter 2<\/em>, along with the films\u2019 production studios Thunder Road Film Productions and Lionsgate Entertainment. In court documents read by Complex, Wicker alleges that Kolstad\u2019s screenplay, titled Scorn<\/em>, copied elements of his screenplay Blood for Escobar<\/em>.<\/p>\n Per the complaint, Blood for Escobar <\/em>seems to allegedly have gotten connected to the makers of John Wick<\/em> via Mike Goldberg and Josh Adler, an entertainment management duo, who Kolstad credits for launching his career. Wicker says he submitted Blood for Escobar <\/em>to a screenplay contest that Goldberg was judging.<\/p>\n Wicker believes that Goldberg and Adler shared a copy of Blood for Escobar <\/em>with Kolstad to write Scorn<\/em>, and allegedly derived the work into building the character of John Wick. Elements of the Blood for Escobar<\/em> storyline that are allegedly similar to John Wick<\/em> include protagonist Alex Rosenthal being a hired assassin for a mysterious company following the death of his wife from terminal illness. Rosenthal is characterized as a \u201chighly-trained martial artist\u201d who \u201cself-medicates the grief he suffers\u201d with whiskey and medication and drives a 1960s Mustang.<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n The lawsuit goes on to allege that certain sequences of events from the first John Wick<\/em> and its sequel pull from Escobar<\/em>, like in Chapter 2<\/em>, where a \u201chigh-society celebration\u201d turns into a violent \u201cgun-fu\u201d battle. Wicker even claims that the movie\u2019s eventual name comes from his own.<\/p>\n The plaintiff is requesting a declaration that the defendants infringed upon his screenplay, along with a payout of $10 million.<\/p>\n This wouldn\u2019t be the first lawsuit that involves the John Wick <\/em>franchise; in 2024, composer Tyler Bates was sued for breach of contract for allegedly creating a \u201cdigital replica\u201d of singer Azam Ali, which was believed to be used in multiple media projects.<\/p>\n <\/a> Donnie Yen’s ‘John Wick’ Caine Spinoff Begins Production: ‘Here We Go’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/a> The John Wick Universe Is Expanding With a New Video Game<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/a> Keanu Reeves\u2019 New Sci-Fi Movie \u2018Shiver\u2019 Locks In Filming Location and Start Date<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Stephen A. Smith on Kevin Hart\u2019s Joke About the ESPN Host Hating Black People: \u2018Stung Like Hell\u2019<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Sadie Soverall Reportedly Tapped for Selena Gomez\u2019s X-Rated Occult Saga<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\nRelated News<\/h3>\n
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