John Wickcreator Derek Kolstad has found his next action movie hero in Emmy-winningThis Is Usstar Sterling K. Brown. After previously turning Keanu Reeves into one of the action genre’s biggest stars with the hitJohn Wickmovie series, Kolstad did it again withBetter Call Saulstar Bob Odenkirk for this year’s violent action thrillerNobody. The screenwriter’s next pitch, which was just picked up by Amazon Studios, is calledCoyote Blueand will feature Brown in the lead role.
While we knowSterling K. Brownis on board to star in the lead role, other cast members have not yet been announced. Kolstad will serve as the screenwriter ofCoyote Blue. Meanwhile, Hanelle M. Culpepper (Star Trek: Picard) will make her feature directorial debut with the movie. Kolstad also produces under his Tradecraft banner alongside Dmitri M. Johnson for DJ2 Entertainment. Brown and Danielle Reardon will produce for Indian Meadows Productions.
Coyote Bluesounds like a story we would expect from the writer ofJohn WickandNobody. Full details have yet to be revealed, but some basic information has been divulged. The plot revolves around “an everyman (Brown) who’s hunted by a ruthless criminal syndicate for his mysterious cargo, and now must navigate the treacherous terrain of Route 66 while unleashing his lethal set of skills in a fight for survival.”
Brown is perhaps best known for his acclaimed role as Randall Pearson in the NBC drama seriesThis Is Us. That performance earned him an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award at the Emmys along with additional nominations the past few years. He also won an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy for playing Christopher Darden inThe People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Storyon FX. He has also appeared in various movies includingBlack Panther,Marshall, andThe Predator.
The director, Hanelle M. Culpepper, is set to serve as director on Amazon’s upcoming seriesAnsasi Boys, based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name. She also recently directed the pilot forKung Fu, a female-led reboot of the 1970s TV series starring David Carradine. This followed her work helming theStar Trek: Picardpilot. Her other recent TV credits includeThe Last Days of Ptolemy Greyfor Apple TV+ andTrue Storyfor Netflix.
Derek Kolstad is credited as the creator ofJohn Wickafter serving as the screenwriter of the original movie, which was directed by Chad Stahelski. He also wrote the second movie and served as a co-writer onJohn Wick 3, and though he has since parted ways with the movie series, he also helped to create the upcoming TV spinoffThe Continental. Along with also writingNobody, Kolstad is reportedly working on another project for Amazon Studios, a movie adaptation of the Japanese action-horror mangaHellsing.
It’s not clear at this time whenCoyote Bluemight begin filming or when it could be released by Amazon Studios. Let’s hope it’s not too far off, as this sounds like a must-see movie for anyone who enjoyedJohn WickandNobody. This news comes to us fromVariety.
