Ep525 - Kurt Johnstad, Screenwriter ‘300,’ ‘Atomic Blonde,’ and ‘Rebel Moon - Part 1 & 2'

Creative Principles

“I was hungry,” says Kurt Johnstad, who took any position he could find to get on set. “I was just looking for an avenue to tell stories. I looked at all the jobs and the flow and rhythm of being on set. I realized a director or cinematographer needs all these people, but you could be self-reliant and self-generate — it’s the writer.” “The writer can just sort of be in their little shack and type away. I gave myself ten years to have a career, from my 20s to my 30s. Just try to do this. I don’t come from an entertainment business family, so it was hard. By 30 though, I felt like I had a career and was going in the right direction.” Johnstad recalls that he wrote about three full films before he got his first credit, which was a straight-to-video kickboxer / bloodsport movie called True Vengeance. “That’s what it ended up being anyway. I’ve never seen it,” he jokes. But, it got him his first credit and fueled his career. He also credits this early relationships with other martial artists for career longevity. Friendships with people like Chad Stahelski (Dir. John Wick), Sam Hargrave (Dir. Extraction), and Dave Leitch (Bullet Train) have led to multiple collaborations. Now, Johnstad is best known for writing scripts like 300, Act of Valor, 300: Rise of an Empire, Atomic Blonde, and most recently, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!