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Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Johnson on Shortlist for Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer

Krystal Clark — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:43:21 +0000

We’ve been hearing about Bryan Singer’s latest film Jack the Giant Killer for a while now, but there’s still no actor attached to play the lead. There have been plenty of rumors as to who the director would hire including I Am Number Four star Alex Pettyfer, but that connection was disregarded as a rumor. Over at THR, they seem to have some solid casting news that lists two of the U.K.’s biggest up and comers as front runners for the role: Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Johnson.

The most recent draft of the Jack the Giant Killer script centers on the kidnapping of a princess that threatens a long-standing peace between men and giants. A young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giants’ kingdom in hopes of rescuing her. The screenplay was written by frequent Singer collaborator Christopher McQuarrie.

The trade reports that Johnson, Hoult, and Aneurin Barnard are all up for the role of the young farmer. As for the princess part, Juno Temple, Adelaide Kane and Lily Collins are currently testing for the role.

Even though we like Johnson, this film sounds like its more fitted for Hoult. He has an innocence about him as well as a certain level of deviousness. What do you think?

Who do you think should play Jack the Giant Killer?

Nowhere Boy: Movie Review

JC — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:16:00 +0000

Sam Taylor-Wood undertakes the daunting task of capturing the formative teenage years of the legendary John Lennon in her feature-film directorial debut, Nowhere Boy. Without the slightest mention of The Beatles, Taylor-Wood focuses on the man behind the music, depicting Lennon just shy of 18. The film stars up and coming British actor Aaron Johnson, followed closely by Kristin Scott Thomas and Ann-Marie Duff. The film is set for a limited release nationwide this Friday.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

Director: Sam Taylor-Wood
Writer: Matt Greenhalgh
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ann Marie Duff
Cinematography By: Seamus McGarvey
Producers: Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae

The Plot:

The film opens in 1955, Liverpool. It chronicles Lennon’s childhood, highlighting the events and personal circumstances that led to the formation of The Beatles – specifically the tumultuous family currents that inspired and shaped his creativity.

The Good:

Insight: Lennon fans will appreciate the authenticity of this film (endorsed by heavy research and those who knew him personally).
Mimi/Julia/John Relationship: We learn that Lennon’s rigid Aunt Mimi (Scott-Thomas) raised him because his mother Julia (Duff), was deemed too unstable. When his Uncle George dies, John is suddenly inspired to reconnect with his estranged mother – a free spirited, vivacious woman who, despite her absence for most of his life, loves him deeply. In Lennon’s adult life he referenced his slightly erotic relationship with Julia which is portrayed quite palpably through fleeting but powerful exchanges and interactions between the two. This inevitably creates a turbulent, but fascinating love triangle that allegedly fueled much of his creative work.
Aaron Johnson: Aside from bearing a striking resemblance to young Lennon, Aaron Johnson brought a certain charisma and swagger to the role, really capturing the spirit of this self-professed “creative genius.”
Scott-Thomas/Duff: Both women give incredibly detailed and moving performances. I smell Oscar nods.

The Partially Bad:

Authenticity: Maintaining a sense of authenticity brings a striking level of truth to any picture – which is lovely, really. But Nowhere Boy portrays Lennon as a brazen, scatter-brained, and deeply arrogant young man. He’s rebellious in a way that’s far from endearing or admirable – in short, he’s kind of a jack ass. We also see that he fell into music for less than commendable reasons: he was fixated with Elvis because he was a heart throb, and decided he needed to explore rock n’ roll to get chicks. His Aunt Julia then, taught him guitar while he was suspended from school for reading porn and skipping class to canoodle with a classmate in the woods. When he eventually meets young McCartney, he admits that he doesn’t peg the guy for a rock n’ roller because he’s slightly nerdy. McCartney simply states that for him, it’s about the music and only the music. This is visibly baffling for Lennon. Which, sadly, leaves the audience slightly disillusioned with his character. Hooray for authenticity, but I found myself far more interested in McCartney than Lennon, because for him – it was about music from day one.

Overall:

Who isn’t fascinated by the “path” or turn of events that inspires a great artist? Answer: nobody. So in that regard, the film is both interesting and insightful.

Rating: 7/10

Nowhere Boy opens in limited release on October 8th.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Will You be seeing Nowhere Boy this weekend?

Interview: Aaron Johnson as John Lennon for Nowhere Boy

Mali Elfman — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:15:31 +0000

This week in theaters Aaron Johnson plays the young John Lennon in director Sam Taylor-Wood’s film Nowhere Boy about the life of the legend before anyone knew who he was. The film was a huge hit at Sundance, I for one was blown away by the story and the sea of great performances which were lead by Johnson’s. The film has been in the UK for some time, but now it is finally landed in the US and is the first film of the year that really stands out as a contender for big awards to come — lucky us!

Last week we spoke to Johnson about transformed himself into Lennon for the film. Check out our interview below…

Is it daunting to play Lennon? Or does it make it easier since it’s a time before he was famous?

Aaron Johnson: I don’t think it made it any easier, but it you know definitely… Like you said, it was a part of his life that wasn’t really documented or filmed, so it kind of gave us a freedom to do it sort of instinctively and naturally as possible. And I think, you know… I still had to kind of treat it in the same way. I had to do as much research as possible and kind of know the ins and outs of this guy and know his insecurities and his vulnerable side as well as his quick wit and his anger, the sort of defensive side — that thing that he did where he put his barriers up and kind of hid it all away. And the music as well. His inspirations became my inspirations.

Did you find you could trust what he wrote, or did you have to go to other sources?

AJ: Obviously there was a bunch of stuff, even his poetry and what have you, and his music expressed a lot later in life rather than the Beatles. Yeah, I had biographies I could read from and the footage. The main thing that really expressed Lennon — and it was good for me because he said it himself — it was on an interview for Rolling Stone. It was about an hour and 40 minutes long and he talks about everything. He met Yoko, and he’s sitting with Yoko and he’s expressing how he felt with his Aunt Mimi, what it was like with his mother, what it was like with the boys. He said, the Beatles were a front, and he wanted to get out, and he didn’t feel comfortable there, and he just felt bitter inside that his mother died… all the different pieces to the puzzle kind of became a lot more clear and I knew how to sort of approach him when he was at his most youngest and naïve and innocent.

How important was Yoko’s approval?

AJ: The biggest blessing was her and Paul McCartney giving the rights to the songs for the film, which has never been done before, which makes it unique in that respect. But you know, her and Paul knew Lennon at different times of his life, but on such a personal, intimate level and so close that it means a lot to us that they appreciate the film and love the film and support it and were very complimentary on our performances, and you know, it’s the best compliment we can get, really. It’s the only one that really matters, I suppose, to us.

Did Paul say anything about how spot-on your performance was?

AJ: Yoko was very much like that, yeah. Paul was kind of… didn’t want to say too much, but he was very much… He loved the film, but he said that, he goes, ‘I don’t ever remember John punching me in the face.’ And that was it, really. And I went, Wow. If that was the only sort of thing that bothered you or was an issue, then I think we’ve got it pretty spot-on. But yeah. Yoko was very complimentary on my performance and my accent and capturing that side of Lennon that he spent a lot of time with her intimately talking about his childhood, so it was great to hear that from her.

So where did the punch come from?

AJ: I think he just always wanted to hit him, didn’t he? I don’t know. I’m sure there was some bit that it was played on. You know, it’s written in a biography or something. I don’t know. I think it was really trying to get that across in the film. You know, after his mother died, he was just fucking angry and bitter at everyone and everything and the world for taking this woman away from him when he’d only just met her. You know, there’s tons of fucking stories of him going to Hamburg and just going up to a group of German people and calling them fucking Nazi bastards just so they’d fucking smash his face in and beat him up just so he could feel pain. Like he’d start a fight like that. It was just that thing that he was dying to do, and I think we just needed to get that across in the film. Who better to hit than Paul?

On that pain issue, there’s one school of thought that people go into acting because they had miserable childhoods and want to reenact them — and I’m not saying that’s your case. But I’m wondering what getting into his skin, considering the trauma that he had as a child, how that informs the artist later on, having painful memories like that, whether you got some understanding of that by going through what he’s going through.

AJ: Yeah, hugely, I mean… these women really kind of molded him as Lennon, these two very strong women. And he learned a lot from both of them. I mean, he grew up with Aunt Mimi, who taught him of Oscar Wilde and was very cultured, and you learn quite early on that when Uncle George dies, she teaches him how to kind of conceal that and kind of put the barriers up. And then when he meets his other who’s this free-spirited woman who’s probably before her time, teaches him of, like, music. And it sort of becomes rock-and-roll, which becomes sort of like a voice to his art form. He was already a visionary and a poet. He just sort of came together because rock-and-roll meant anger and rebellion and everything that he was kind of going through at the time.

It was a way out for him to express that kind of… carry on, what was kind of going on at home in the relationships between his aunt and his mother. And then when she died, he probably had to go back to the roots again of what his Aunt Mimi taught him, which was put the barriers up and hide it all and put that pain away. And that was the Beatles, really. Till he met Yoko and felt like he could bring it back out again. But, yeah, I mean, this is what we do. We’re expressing. We’re certainly looking at the artist’s background, really. And it makes his work more — you can understand it more or it makes it more… I think that’s why when we hit ‘Mother,’ it’s such an influential song that maybe you might have loved before, but now you really get it, you know? And there are so many other songs that are like that. That answers your question?

Prior to the film, what was your connection to John Lennon and/or the Beatles?

AJ: Well, I’m British, so it’s kind of embedded in our history, the Beatles, their songs. You know, it’s played a lot, and I love the music. But I never knew anything about this side of Lennon’s life. You know, we don’t really… I guess the sort of Lennon that was the activist and the free spirit, we didn’t really get that side of Lennon because that’s when he kind of devoted himself to living in New York and you know, it was all about the Vietnam War. So we didn’t really — we kind of inhabited just the Beatles.

How did you discover the relationship between your character and when you meet Paul McCartney? Was that something — did you talk to Paul? Was that research? How did you guys figure out that push-pull relationship?

AJ: Yeah, it’s sort of like this moment written down in history, and what was it like? It was quite scary. I guess we just wanted to make it as believable and not too kind of slapstick, you know? It could’ve just been a bit awkward, I guess. I think we just wanted to inhabit the characters. It was kind of funny, we played on the joke of him, you know, ‘Do you want a beer?’ And he says, ‘No, I want tea.’ It’s so earnest… that shit doesn’t faze him at all.

Did you get to talk to Paul or anyone before the film?

AJ: I didn’t talk to anybody during the film. Sam sort of got in touch with everybody just before we started shooting and said, ‘You know, I’m going to make this movie about Lennon.’ Went out to Yoko, Paul, parts of the family, and they all said, ‘Say what you want.’ Some people stepped forward and most people stepped back. They kind of let her deal with it. It was good to get those sort of details, but they kind of went through Sam, and it got filtered through her to us, and I think that was a safer way of doing it, rather than getting us involved. Because they didn’t know us, they didn’t how I was going to play it. She kind of protected us in that sort of bubble.

There’s also kind of a love story with the two women in his life. Did you ever talk about that love triangle aspect of it?

AJ: Yeah, it really is a love triangle, and it comes across throughout the film. Yeah, I mean, these women, there’s a point in the movie when he sees Elvis for the first time, and he sees the effect that he has on women, and he wants that. He wants to be like Elvis, is what he says, and start a rock-and-roll band because he just wants to love of his aunt and his mother, you know? And that was the easiest way of getting it, I guess. I think also there’s that sort of tension, that sort of sexual tension between him and his mother that kind of freaks everybody out.

Which we played on a lot stronger when we were filming, and then had to dial it down for obvious reasons. But that came across as well. I think it was in a Phillip Norman biography of him, it was a quote from Lennon saying something about… He described what she was wearing and what have you, which we copied obviously exactly, and he said something like, he might brush past her or breast or something, and in that moment he knew he could’ve had her. And we were like, ‘OK…’ So we kind of played on it.

Why’d you dial it back?

AJ: Because it’s a fragile subject, and that was all it needed, really. You notice a lot of things in the editing room. I mean, there’s a whole other scene that we had with him and his mother, and it was quite early on and it was still quite seductive, and she was in her lingerie getting changed in the bedroom, and he confronts her about ‘Why did you leave me?’ and ‘Where’s my father?’ It was a beautiful scene, beautifully shot, and you can ask Sam about it because they kept it in until the last moment, and she knew she had to get rid of it because it gave away too much too soon — not only the seductive thing but the whole story of it about that father, and you needed to build it up, build it up to that very last moment where he’s at this birthday party and he says, you know, ‘Where’s my fucking dad?’

So going further wasn’t necessary?

AJ: I think he realized that he only needed that little bit, the seductive bit, for everyone to go, ‘Hang on.’ And then it would go into something else. You know, just to sort of explain what was kind of the dynamic that was sort of grown between him and his mum and what thoughts were going through his head, because he’s at that age, and what she was like as a woman and sort of sleeping around, maybe. All these things couldn’t be diagnosed. Was she bipolar? They couldn’t really diagnose these things in those days. There’s just moments that were written in biographies that we can play on, trying to get this well-rounded perspective on this woman that nobody really knew.

What do you think the difference is in the way this movie is presented in the U.K. Versus the U.S. for audiences?

AJ: Well, hopefully…. the thing that happened was critically it was fantastic in England, and you know, we got nominated for BIFAs and BAFTAs, so that was brilliant. But stupidly they brought it out on Boxing Day, which was up against Avatar and Sherklock Holmes, so surprisingly no one went to go see it. Which was a shame,you know? Because it’s something that I’m really proud of. They should’ve just brought it out when everyone was hyped about it when we did the London Film Festival, which was October of last year.

So hopefully this time round, you know, we can get people to go see it. And I think the difference also here is that it’s quite a spectacle for audiences to see how Lennon grew up and what it was like in Liverpool and the 50s there, especially because Americans take Lennon in — he’s more known for being almost John Lennon and this free speaker and this activist who kind of stood up for the rights and, you know, the Vietnam War and what have you, and peace and all that. And that’s quite embedded in America, I think that rather than the way we see Lennon from just the Beatles, I guess. So hopefully you’ll just get a lot more interest over here.

Johnson can be seen as Lennon in Nowhere Boy in the US starting October 8th!

Trailer:

Aaron Johnson as Cyclops in X-Men First Class?

Krystal Clark — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:56:58 +0000

There’s a new rumor regarding X-Men First Class and this time it has to do with the team’s leader, Scott Summers aka Cyclops. According to AICN, director Matthew Vaughn may decide to keep it in the Kick-Ass family by bringing on British actor Aaron Johnson for the part. Johnson was previously rumored to be in contention for the role of Spider-Man, which we all know went to Andrew Garfield, so why shouldn’t he give Cyc a shot?

A source called “Son of Rothman” sent out an email to the site claiming that Johnson has been confirmed to play Cyclops in the film. We’ve known for a while that the actor who tackled the role in last year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine wouldn’t return (thank God) for the part and according to this spy, Johnson is a lock.

I work in the [REDACTED] and we heard today that Matthew Vaughn found his young Cyclops and it shouldn’t be any surprise because he worked with him before. It’s Aaron Johnson. This is one hundred percent locked at this point. Thought you guys should know.

For those of you who can’t get over Johnson’s dorky demeanor in Kick-Ass, I suggest you look at some of the actor’s other work. He’s tackled a variety of characters and can take on the leadership role if written properly. Summers is like a son to Professor Xavier and I can definitely see James McAvoy being a paternal figure to Johnson. This isn’t an official confirmation, just the word on the street. Stay tuned…

What do you think of Johnson as Cyclops in X-Men: First Class?

Aaron Johnson and Anton Yelchin Make Spider-Man Shortlist

Krystal Clark — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:35:04 +0000

Aaron Johnson lied to us! The Kick-Ass star was rumored to be a front runner to play Peter Parker in the rebooted Spider-Man franchise and when asked about it in an interview with Cinemablend he stated, “I would play another superhero, but not necessarily soon.” Does 2012 seem that far away to you? The LA Times is reporting that Johnson along with Terminator Salvation star Anton Yelchin has been added to the Spider-Man shortlist that currently includes Jamie Bell, Andrew Garfield, Josh Hutcherson, Alden Ehrenreich, and Frank Dillane.

Johnson may seem like the logical choice to play Parker but he’s got some serious competition. The actor will have to battle it out with Anton Yelchin who’s currently one of the most popular actors in his age group. He hit us with a one-two punch in 2009 with roles in two franchise films and with the exception of Jamie Bell, he’s got the best box office track record.

Sony will start screen testing the actors shortly and from there director Marc Webb will cut the fat and find the man destined to take Tobey Maguire’s place. Who do you think it will be?

Spider-Man is scheduled to hit theaters on July 3, 2012.

What do you think of Johnson and Yelchin being added to the list? Out of all the actors who do you think will make the best Spider-Man.

Kick-Ass: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:30:05 +0000

As I said right after seeing this film at ShoWest, this film does what it says it will, it kick’s ass. There are some things that I could pick at if I really wanted to but overall it’s a darkly comedic film about fake superheros fighting crime and it’s some of the most fun I’ve had in theaters all year. The tone, the dialogue and the comedic-violence are brilliantly well executed…I was sold as soon as I saw the adorable Chloe Moretz call a group of mobsters “cunts” and stab the living shit out of them…

The Players:

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Jane Goldman (Script) and Mark Millar (Comic-Book)
Actors: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonseca

The Plot:

Without giving too much away, the film is about a teenager who decides that he can’t take the violence in his neighborhood anymore so he does what comes naturally to him… puts on some cheap spandex and starts kicking some ass! He begins to gather a group of followers, some who are more professional, others who have more money… all with their own distinct personalities and reasons for joining. Let the ride begin!

The Good:

The Tone: What makes this movie so great is that for however fantastical it is still based on real people AND has a strong sense that it’s based in an insane reality. Yes it goes over the top and crazy, but always in a very organic, believable way (until we get to the end). From the colors on the screen, to the lighting, and the overall tone, they did a great job of never making it feel like an unattainable movie. It’s more like a real life story with extraordinary happenings.
The Acting: Across the board, great performances. Nicholas Cages gives one of his best performances in a LONG time by finally letting his inner nerd come out! There are few 10-year-olds that could be both as sweet and violent as Chloe Moretz who steals every scene she’s in with her amazing performance. Mark Strong, the token bad guy of the year delivers again. Christopher Mintz-Plasse will have you laughing as always. And Aaron Johnson proves that all the recent attention he’s been getting is much deserved.
The Violence: There are some graphic scenes when needed, but for the most part the violence is done with a sense of humor that allows you to have fun and let loose. Yes you may cringe, but odds are you’ll be laughing while you do it.
The Comedy: As I’ve said before, what makes this film so great is it’s ability to mock other films like it and even itself. It has fun and never takes itself too seriously.
The Directing: There were a lot of good choices made in this film, starting with Vaughn believing in the film when no one else did. The fact that no one would fund it so he raised $35 million on his own and made the movie anyway (and ended up selling it for more than he asked for). You can tell that this is a passion project and that he really put everything he had into the film and left no stone unturned.

The Bad:

Meh: Id’ have to get really picky, there were some structure issues towards the end which if I’m honest, really didn’t effect the movie for me at all. It’s a fun ride, this film isn’t about being perfect, it’s about kicking some fucking ass.

Overall:

Go see it now! Find a packed theater (it’s great to hear everyone’s response), buy some popcorn, and have a blast!

Rating: 9/10

Kick-Ass is coming to you in theaters April 16th!

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Kick-Ass Hollywood Movie Premiere Live Stream

Krystal Clark — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:47:06 +0000

Tonight is the night that Hollywood’s elite comes out to watch a bunch of kids curse and kill criminals. We’re talking about the West Coast premiere of Matthew Vaughn’s new film Kick-Ass that opens nationwide this Friday on April 16th. Below you can watch the movie’s cast including Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, and Nicholas Cage walk the red carpet, take a couple of pictures, and wave to their fans. Check it all out live on Ustream…

Kick-Ass is based on the Mark Millar comic that begs the question, what would happen if superheroes really did exist? The film centers on a group of crime fighting vigilantes who don’t have any super powers, but overcompensate with weapons and attitude. It’s a prime example of fantasy meeting reality, with a bit of comedy thrown in.

The movie has been receiving great reviews since it played at the ShoWest and SXSW film festivals and now it’s time for the rest of the world to see what it’s about. In the film Johnson plays the title character, Moretz stars as Hit Girl (perhaps the most deadly out of the bunch), and her father Big Daddy is played by a “Leave it To Beaver-esque” Cage. There’s also Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin’ who appears as Red Mist, the son of Strong’s villainous character Frank D’Amico.

Check out all the action as it happens at the Kick-Ass premiere. It’s set to start at 6:30 pm PST time so get ready.

Live TV : Ustream

Who are you the most excited to see walk the red carpet?

New Kick-Ass Clips Show Big Daddy In Action

Krystal Clark — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:24:11 +0000

Now that April is officially here, the debut of Matthew Vaughn’s comic adaptation Kick-Ass is on the horizon. The film’s cult fanbase has grown significantly over the past year thanks to its unique marketing campaign and there’s more to come. Today, we’ve got two clips from the film that show the title character Kick-Ass himself and the older, slightly insane Big Daddy in action.

In the first clip, Kick-Ass as played by Aaron Johnson makes an attempt to surprise his high school love interest Katie by appearing in her bedroom unannounced. On the surface it sounds like a romantic gesture, but during a crime wave it’s not the smartest move. Therefore, as a young woman alone in her home with a costumed man, she reacts accordingly.

In the second clip, Big Daddy does the one thing that Batman can’t…he kills. He invades a crime boss’s warehouse and sets everything a blaze. Nicholas Cage plays the character amazingly well and you can tell he’s having fun with the role. Even though he’s enjoying himself the guy whose throat he just slashed probably isn’t.

Check out both clips below…

Kick-Ass “Surprise” clip

Big Daddy invades the warehouse clip

Kick-Ass hits theaters on April 16, 2010.

What do you think of these two clips from Kick-Ass? Do you get the action/humor in the film?

New Kick-Ass Clips of The Mist-Mobile

Mali Elfman — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:54:23 +0000

Kick-Ass wants you to be their fan on FaceBook. As much as I hate having to become a fan or add my name to anything in order to get something, it’s a pretty small price to pay in order to have access to new clips, live interviews with the director and more… And I have to say, this film is completely worth it (check out our ShoWest First Look).

We have one of the latest clips for you of Kick-Ass riding around in The Red Mist’s cleverly named “Mist-Mobile” with all the finest crime stopping toys that a rich superhero could buy. The two “super-heroes” played by Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse have two very different ideas about what it takes to be a superhero, but both of them are equals when it comes to horrible dancing. Check it out…

If you’re looking for the next clip, sorry I couldn’t get that one for you but you can see it by becoming a fan on FaceBook

Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn will be interviewed by Jonathon Ross in a LIVE Streaming event on Facebook March 23rd at 4pm. You’ll have the chance to have your questions answered by Vaughn live by submitting them to Facebook wall now.

Kick-Ass will be in theaters April 16.

What do you think of the latest clip? You excited to see Mintz-Plasse as a superhero?

New Kick-Ass Behind The Scenes Video

Krystal Clark — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:37:46 +0000

Just yesterday we brought you the latest international character poster for Kick-Ass that featured Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl. Today, a new behind the scenes video has popped up online promoting the film and it shows several interviews from the stars including Moretz, Aaron Johnson, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and director Matthew Vaughn. It’s an on set video that was taken during Kick-Ass’ production and it features some strong language, so beware.

The majority of the video centers on Matthew Vaughn and what he went through to find the right actor to play Dave/Kick-Ass. It turns out that he was hell bent on casting an American for the role, but out of over 500 kids none of them seemed right. When Johnson came in to read for the part he did it in an American accent and Vaughn asked him if he was from New York and he replied,’ no I’m English.’ At that point, Johnson was speaking in his normal British accent and Vaughn thought he was making fun of him because he too is an England native.

Johnson’s casting is a prime example of not necessarily getting what you want, but getting what you need. There aren’t that many American actors that I can think of off the top of my head who could have taken on this role. Kick-Ass isn’t a PG-13 action movie for kids. It’s rated R and filled with violence and bad language. Can you name any young actors who could handle this type of material?

If you want to check out the Empire set visit, here’s the video. We’ll have the embedded version up as soon as it’s available.

What do you think of Vaughn’s auditioning process for Kick-Ass?

Current Star Rating: No Stars

Projected Star Increase:

Former child actor Aaron Johnson is already a familiar face in his native UK, but he’ll be making his leading man debut stateside as the title character in Matthew Vaughn‘s Kick-Ass. Johnson stars as Dave Lizewski, an awkward teenager who’s brutally attacked and decides to take justice into his own hands. The role is a drastic shift from his performance as legendary Beatle John Lennon in the loose biopic Nowhere Boy, which chronicles the tumultuous childhood of the future rock star. Both films are slated for 2010 releases, but Nowhere Boy will makes its theatrical debut in the U.K.

What do you think of our list of actors to look out for in 2010? Who should be added?

Kick-Ass: Movie Review (3)
Kick-Ass Hollywood Movie Premiere Live Stream (0)
Drive: Movie Review (3)
Thor: Review (8)
Interview: Thor’s Actors (0)
Interview: Mia Wasikowska Takes on Jane Eyre (0)
Jane Eyre: Movie Review (0)

New Kick Ass Character Posters

Krystal Clark — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:11:53 +0000

A few new posters have popped up online for the upcoming Matthew Vaughn comic adaptation, Kick-Ass. The little engine that could is slowly but surely making its way to theaters and to jumpstart its promotion Lionsgate has released four banners from the film. They feature Aaron Johnson as the title character, Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, and Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy.

Check out the posters below:

Kick-Ass is based on the popular Mark Millar (Wanted) and John Romita, Jr. comic series about a dorky high school student named Dave Lizewski who becomes a vigilante hero overnight. He joins forces with an 11 year old assassin and her trigger happy father, to become an underground crime fighting team. The film will hit American theaters on April 16, 2010 and will be rated R for ass-kicking violence, language, and you know the rest.

It’s been a long journey for this film to gain major backing due to its graphic content with minors at the center of it all. After the footage from Kick-Ass was shown at this year’s Comic-Con, it earned a standing ovation from the audience. Movie studios were forced to take notice and engaged in a bidding war to distribute the film. Eventually, Lionsgate won out and the rest is history.

What do you think of the character posters for Kick-Ass?

Source: IGN

ScreenCrave.com » aaron johnson

Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Johnson on Shortlist for Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer

Related Posts

Nowhere Boy: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Partially Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

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Interview: Aaron Johnson as John Lennon for Nowhere Boy

Trailer:

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Aaron Johnson as Cyclops in X-Men First Class?

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The Bad:

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Trailer:

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