‘John Wick’ Writer Derek Kolstad Adapting Korean Film ‘Time Agent’

Derek Kolstad, the screenwriter behind the “John Wick” series, is collaborating with Davis Entertainment, Black Label Media and Gunpowder & Sky’s Dust for an adaptation of the South Korean short film “Time Agent.”

Written and directed by Jude Chun, “Time Agent” was originally released by Dust in 2018 and follows an agent who travels to the past to save the future, by making barely-perceptible yet very influential alterations to the timeline. During his mission, he must live in complete isolation, which suits the solitary agent until he runs into a girl about to commit suicide and accidentally saves her life.

“From the moment I saw the short, I recognized a vast and unexplored world hidden within the initial concept eager to be fully realized,” Kolstad said. “Thankfully, the imaginative teams at Gunpowder & Sky and Davis Entertainment saw the potential too, and shared a similar vision for it. Dude, I’m excited to dive in and help further bring this one to life.”

Black Label Media will finance and produce alongside Davis Entertainment and Gunpowder & Sky. Executive producers include Gunpowder & Sky’s co-founders Van Toffler and Floris Bauer, Dust general manager Eric Bromberg, “Predator” producer John Davis, Chun, Jeremy Stein, and Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill.

Kolstad created Lionsgate’s popular John Wick franchise, centering on the hitman portrayed by Keanu Reeves. The studio announced earlier this month that it plans to shoot the next two installments back to back with “John Wick 4” due to be released in May 2022.

Kolstad is repped by APA, Circle of Confusion and Behr Abramson Levy.