John Wick Franchise Sued for $10 Million by J.R. Wicker

Writer J.R. Wicker has filed a $10 million lawsuit naming Thunder Road Films producer Derek Kolstad and distributor Lionsgate, alleging the first two John Wick films were copied from his screenplay "Blood for Escobar." Wicker’s script also follows a middle-aged former assassin who gets dragged back into that violent life.

Wicker argues that Kolstad “intentionally, blatantly, and without authorization, copied” the "Blood for Escobar" script, and the complaint highlights several similar scenes: a home invasion in which the protagonist’s pet is killed, recovery of a hidden cache of weapons, and a pulsating action sequence at a nightclub where the protagonist confronts the antagonist.

The lawsuit quotes: “In both works, the antagonist gets away and is finished by a bullet later at a different location, a location where guards are down, a public location, at night, drinking.” The original John Wick was released in 2014, with the sequel in 2017.

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