‘John Wick’ Franchise Hit With $10 Million Lawsuit by a Man Named Wicker

It’s high season for entertainment lawsuits! Recently, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were sued because the plot of their Netflix film The Rip allegedly bears too close a resemblance to a story about real-life Miami police officers, while Disney and James Cameron are being sued by an actress who argues her likeness was used without permission to develop a character in the new Avatar movie. The Lion King composer Lebohang Morake even sued a comedian for $20 million for making a joke about song lyrics. Now, the John Wick franchise is in the legal crosshairs.

Following four hugely successful films starring Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin, and with several spin-offs on the way, THR reports that a writer named J.R. Wicker (yes, you read that right, Wicker) alleges that the first two John Wick films are ripped from his own screenplay titled “Blood for Escobar.” Wicker’s script also follows a middle-aged former assassin who gets dragged back into that violent life. The complaint names Thunder Road Films producer Derek Kolstad specifically as well as Lionsgate, which distributes the John Wick movies. Wicker argues that Kolstad “intentionally, blatantly, and without authorization, copied” the “Blood for Escobar” script.

The original John Wick was released in 2014, with the sequel in 2017. The statute of limitations on copyright infringement is only three years. Wicker argues that he only just saw John Wick last year, which is why he launched his $10 million lawsuit so long after the original film was released.

According to the allegations, “The lawsuit points to several alleged similarities between “Blood for Escobar” and Kolstad’s “Scorn,” the spec script that became John Wick.” Like the Reeves-led film, “Wicker’s screenplay starts with the home invasion of the protagonist, Alex, in which his pet is killed. After, he recovers a hidden cache of weapons in his house, setting up a pulsating action sequence at a nightclub where he confronts the antagonist.” Which all sounds undeniably similar to the humble beginnings of Baba Yaga.

Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin in John Wick: Chapter 4

Wicker’s lawsuit argues that “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.” Kolstad allegedly could have had access to Wicker’s script through Abstract Entertainment’s Mike Goldberg, who was a judge in a script competition where “Blood for Escobar” was submitted.

Still, winning a copyright infringement case is incredibly difficult in these situations. Especially after so much time has passed. Also, nothing prevents others from attempting to profit from a successful property. In 2025, idea theft claims were rejected in lawsuits targeting Moana and Servant. All of which means J.R. Wicker has his work cut out for him if he wants to go up against Mr. Wick.