Filmonic » Kick-Ass

Universal to release Kick-Ass overseas

Liam — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:32:13 +0000

In August Lionsgate bought the rights to release Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass in the US, however not for anywhere else. Now according to THR Universal has nabbed the rights to release the film in the U.K., Germany, Australia, Latin America, Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand. As I live in the UK this is good news for me, although the French and other Europeans will have to hope another deal is stuck to release it there.

In related Kick-Ass news director Matthew Vaughn made a commentary on the teaser trailer that was released earlier this month. He didn’t know he was, however. French Premiere magazine had a phone interview with him and they placed his voice over the trailer.

I can’t fly. But I can kick your ass

Liam — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:28:20 +0000

Yesterday we got the teaser trailer, today we have a new poster, which can be seen below. I love the tagline.

From Myspace:

Aaron Johnston plays Dave Lizewski, a lonely teen who decides to become a real-life superhero after being inspired by the heroes of comic-books. He soon encounters a mysterious vigilante called Big-Daddy (Nicolas Cage), and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloë Moretz), who are working to bring down the drug baron, Frank D’Amico.

Kick-Ass trailer!

Liam — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:19:07 +0000

Apparently that trailer countdown timer on the films official site meant nothing as the trailer for Kick-Ass has found it’s way online early. As it’s the teaser trailer it doesn’t show too much, and those who saw the bootleg trailer from Comic Con may be underwhelmed. However, from what we do see it looks great, and quite funny. It’s gonna be a badass R-rated superhero comedy!

In the film Nicolas Cage plays Big Daddy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse is Red Mist, and Chloe Moretz plays Hit Girl, a 11 year-old assassin.

Kick-Ass trailer coming next week

Liam — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:19:53 +0000

Last week we saw Lionsgate’s first bit of marketing for Kick-Ass with the release of 4 new posters, and now the official website for the film iamkick-ass.com has been launched, revealing a countdown to when we will get our first glimpse at a trailer. According to the timer the trailer will debut on MySpace on November 15th at 1 AM EST. Make a mental note.

UPDATE: Watch the trailer here!

First set of official Kick-Ass posters released

Liam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:57:12 +0000

Back in August Matthew Vaughn brought his independently financed superhero movie Kick-Ass to Comic Con and the huge positive response to the footage provoked a bidding war between a few studios for distribution rights. Lionsgate eventually claimed victory after shelling out $50 million, and swiftly set a April 16th release date. Now we are starting to see the first bit of marketing for the film with IGN releasing 4 new posters.

To see the other posters showing Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, and Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl click here!

In related Kick-Ass news AICN received a review for film after a test screening took place in London recently. Here’s a snippet (spoilers):

The comic sets out as a modern deconstruction of the superhero concept, with knowing nods to geekdom surrounding comics, and the film takes that idea and runs with. Littered with references to other superhero films from Batman, Superman and Spiderman (even the Spirit movie gets a hilarious nod), this feels like it is happening in our world, and will drive fellow geeks wild. The film veers ever more into outlandish areas as it goes on, but it always feel believable.
As far as the actors go, Brit Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass more than fills the lead role ably handling the accent, but I did feel that he lacked the vulnerability of the comic’s Dave Lizewski, never nerdy enough and definitely too buff, but that’s just nit-picking at a role that should catapult him into the big time. Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse proves that he has what it takes to hold his own in a comedic role as Red Mist, and he seems perfectly cast. Nic Cage, who I wasn’t really to impressed with when I heard he was cast as Big Daddy, proved me wrong by putting in a hilarious, Adam West-esque performance (although his final scenes did raise a few eyebrows for his scene-chewing, but again I won’t spoil it for you).
But the film truly belongs to Chloe Moretz who, as Hit Girl, tears through the film as the baddest pre-pubescent 4 foot badass ever committed to film. She totally owns every scene and provided the audience with at least three bandstanding crowd cheering moments. She’s funny, witty, knowing, hugely crude, and just massively ass-kicking, her Matrix lobby-esque scene at the film’s climax is just incredible, and again should propel her into the big time by just being one of the most incredibly cool characters in any comic book film ever. Badder than Wolverine, funnier than Deadpool, more athletic than Spiderman and cuter than that kid in Runaways. Just f**king awesome.

Click here to read the rest!

From the positive reaction to footage at comic con, to this recent review, it seems Matthew Vaughn may have made a rather unique and cool superhero movie. All we need now is a trailer!

Kick-Ass release date

Liam — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:07:47 +0000

Last month Lionsgate bought the rights to distribute Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass and they have now set a release date: April 16th 2010.

With the date set hopefully Lionsgate will begin the marketing machine and release a trailer in the upcoming weeks.

Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan with a few friends and who lives alone with his father. His life is not very difficult and his personal trials not that overwhelming. However, one day he makes the simple decision to become a super-hero even though he has no powers or training. Originally created by Mark Millar (Wanted), one of the world’s most successful comic book writers, KICK-ASS stars Nic Cage, Mark Strong, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Evan Peters.

Lionsgate to release Kick-Ass

Liam — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:50:45 +0000

Earlier this month we heard that Universal, Paramount and Lionsgate were all in the running to release Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass after it recieved a warm reception at the San Diego Comic Con. Well now according to Variety Liongate have won the rights, and they will release Kick-Ass sometime in 2010.

Lionsgate has grabbed domestic rights to Matthew Vaughn’s action-comedy “Kick-Ass.”
In a deal that is described as “big,” the mini-major has committed to a wide 2010 release.
Pic is based on a comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. about a comic-obsessed teenager who decides to become a real-life superhero despite his lack of any superpowers. Cast includes Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and “Superbad’s” Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

This time last month Matthew Vaughn didn’t know if it would even be released, however now it has a wide release next year. What a difference a month makes! Lionsgate aren’t the biggest studio out of the three contenders, but I’m sure Vaughn got the best deal he could for the film, having raised the money to make it himself.

Lionsgate, Paramount and Universal are in the running for Kick-Ass

Liam — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:17:46 +0000

Matthew Vaughn was working on Thor in early 2008, however Marvel delayed production as they wanted to see how Iron Man fared, so instead of sitting around Vaughn decided to work on Kick-Ass. Mark Miller’s comic book was rather graphic and not your typical superhero comic, so it wasn’t that surprising to hear that Sony wanted to change things to make it more commercial. They wanted to make the 11 year old vigilante girl older and a love interest, and they also wanted to tone down the violence, but Matthew Vaughn wanted to stay true to the comic so he got $30 million together to make it himself.

Throughout production they didn’t have a release date, and there weren’t sure if any studio would actually step in to release it, however at the San Diego Comic Con last month there was a huge positive response from the footage that was shown, and now according to Risky Biz Blog three studios are hovering over it, ready to throw money at it and release it.

Lionsgate, Paramount and Universal are in the running for the pic, which Vaughn financed independently after some studios found the project’s violence too graphic and some of its dialogue too profanity-laced and opted not to board it at the script stage.
But the Comic-Con event garnered a hugely warm response from the fan universe, which has in turn helped convince the companies to reconsider. Buyer screenings followed the week after Comic-Con, and several studios began circling the pic.
Studios interested in “Kick-Ass” see a Vaughn pickup, even at a price in the solid seven figures and with a significant P&A commitment, as a way to plug a franchise-level property into their slate with comparatively little financial risk or production headaches.
Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz star in the pic, which Vaughn, the director of movies like “Stardust” and “Layer Cake,” penned with writing partner Jane Goldman.

As it only cost $30 million to make so it will easily make it’s money back, so whichever studio decides to release it could have a potential franchise on their hands, and we all know they love them. I’m glad Matthew Vaughn’s commitment and dedication has been rewarded with studios fighting over Kick-Ass. He could have easily agreed to change things at the beginning and made life easy for himself, but he decided to do it his way. It may not have worked out for Vaughn with X-Men 3 and Thor, but he’s finally got his own comic book movie that will now be released to the masses.

Kick-Ass poster

Liam — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:08:58 +0000

Kick-Ass has yet to get an official release date (and someone to release it) but that hasn’t stopped them from producing some early marketing material for the film. AICN received the first Kick-Ass poster from John Romita, Jr. who will be attending Comic Con next week to premiere some Kick-Ass footage with director Matthew Vaughn.

Earlier this week Vaughn spoke to AICN about revealing the first bit of footage at Comic Con, and what it was like making the first superhero movie with no studio involvement.

Well, I’ve never been! And I can’t wait! I was meant to go three different times, but failed. I was meant to go for X-MEN 3, then that failed. Then I was meant to go for THOR. And also STARDUST. So fourth time lucky. (Laughs) I’ve got no idea what to expect. It’s funny, but I’m both thrilled and bummed out that AVATAR is on earlier than us. I’m thrilled because I’m going to try to sneak in and see some of it, but at the same time I’m thinking, “How in the hell is anyone going to take notice of us when you’ve got AVATAR playing?”

I’m nervous. I don’t even know when the bloody thing is coming out. I always look at FIGHT CLUB, and how that was getting all of this press and attention. Then they push it back, and it dies due to being released at the wrong time.
Beaks: But FIGHT CLUB was, from the beginning, a studio production. KICK-ASS is independent, correct?
Vaughn: (Proudly) 100%. This is the most independent film I’ve made since LOCK, STOCK [AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS].
My only advice to filmmakers now is “If you don’t have any studio involvement, if you have less financial reward or choices… take the less money route. You’ll have the time of your life.” I had so much fun making this movie. There have been no politics to deal with. I’m not getting notes saying, “Could you make it happy?” or “Could you make it sad?”, and then you end up in some horrible nowhere land. There are certain sequences that, if I had a little more money and a little more time, would be better. But there are also sequences that are a lot better because I didn’t have the money or time, so we had to think of a way of shooting it quickly, and that made it better.

I quite like Matthew Vaughn. When he was shopping Kick-Ass to the studios he could have easily agreed to tone it down and change elements from the comic for an easier life, but he decided to stay true to the comic and raise the money to make it himself. I hope the Kick-Ass gets some buzz after Comic Con and someone agrees to release it.

Mark Millar says Kick-Ass 2 is being plotted out

Liam — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:50:15 +0000

Kick-Ass has yet to get a release date, so far as we know, yet a sequel is already being planned out according to series creator Mark Miller, who spoke to Sci-Fi Wire.

Wanted made $350 million. So that was the thing that opened the doors. I didn’t expect that. For some reason I just assumed, “Oh, yeah, this will come out and do OK. If I get another movie at some point, wonderful.” But what happened very quickly was that several of the titles got picked up to be made into movies. Kick-Ass. War Heroes. I’m doing American Jesus. Kick-Ass 2 is already being plotted out. We’re planning it, because all the actors are quite young and we have to make it relatively quickly. So we’ll definitely do that inside the next 18 to 24 months.
Wanted made a fortune. It made a ton of money, and it was a property nobody had ever heard of. And I think Kick-Ass is going to be even bigger. Everybody who’s seen bits of it were rubbing their hands together with excitement because they think they’ve stumbled onto something very big. So I can’t complain. It’s not been a genius plan of mine or anything. It’s just been a bunch of happy accidents that led to this.

Kick-Ass isn’t your ordinary superhero movie, for a number of reasons. The first is that there are no actual powers involved, just normal people doing cool things, and secondly, no studio wanted to finance it due to the direction Matthew Vaughn wanted to take it in (ie. close to the source material). This meant Vaughn had go get financing himself and now has the task of shopping an extremely violent and bloody movie to distributors. They could have already found a distributor, we just haven’t heard anything yet.

Hopefully they work everything out soon and we get a trailer. After all, if the first one doesn’t look good and makes no money there’s no point making a sequel.