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Universal Saves ‘Kick-Ass 2′ From Development Hell

Travis Woods — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:57:53 +0000

The journey to Kick-Ass 2 has been a long and arduous one. First, the film was rumored to be in development, was then officially greenlit, and then quickly scurried into non-development as everyone involved appeared to be simply too busy to film the sequel to the 2010 cult hit. Now, however, it seems that Universal is swooping in like a caped crusader to rescue the film from the violent throes of development hell.

Matthew Vaughn, the man who directed, produced, and self-financed Kick-Ass, the cinematic adaptation of the comic book of the same name, is currently in talks with Universal to distribute the film. The original Kick-Ass was distributed by Lionsgate Films, with the film taking in $96 million from a $30 million budget.

While Vaughn will be returning to produce the film, as well as write the screenplay (which will adapt both the Kick-Ass 2 comic and Hit-Girl spin-off series into a single film). He will not direct it, though, as he’s tapped the director of 2008’s Never Back Down, Jeff Wadlow.

While the deal is still currently in the works, production is expected to begin this September, with the film set for a 2013 release. Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are all expected to return for the sequel.

THR rightfully points out that this isn’t the first time Universal has rescued a faltering superhero franchise—in 2008, Universal released Hellboy II: The Golden Army after the first film, Hellboy, had been released by Revolution and Sony.

What do you think of the Kick-Ass 2 news? Relieved?

‘Kick-Ass 2′ Falls Into Development Hell

Travis Woods — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:57:34 +0000

Hey Kick-Ass fans, you’re not waiting for the sequel to hit theaters next year, in which the film will adapt the Kick-Ass 2 comic, are you? You’re not looking forward to the continuing adventures of Kick-Ass as he preps for the arrivial of The Red Mist, right? Oh, you are? ‘Cause, you see… well…

It ain’t gonna happen. According to Cinema Blend, Kick-Ass 2 is dead in the water:

“The news of the promised sequel’s dissolution comes from Jane Goldman who adapted the Mark Millar comic for the first film. Talking to Absolute Radio she says, ‘I don’t think it’s going to happen. At the moment it’s not in the works. We’re all doing different things at the moment. We would love to do it again, but we’ve all been pulled in different directions.’”

But, in the end, maybe this is ok—there have been a glut of superhero films lately, what with X-men prequels and Iron Man and Batman sequels and Avengers set-ups and Superman reboots and, Jesus Christ, whatever the hell it was that Zack Snyder did to Watchmen, and maybe one less comic adaptation right now will be a good thing. (That said, if killing the current wave of comic book adaptations means no more Ghost Riders, Fantastic Fours, or any other kind of combination of Nic Cage and/ or Jessica Alba in CGI extravaganzas, maybe Hollywood should pump out a few more Kick-Ass flicks. We’ve got to burn this village to save it, people).

What do you think of the Kick-Ass news?

Jane Goldman Says Kick-Ass 2 Not Matthew Vaughn’s Next Movie?

Krystal Clark — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:31:55 +0000

Matthew Vaughn currently has his hands full with the release of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: First Class, but that hasn’t stopped fans from wanting to know what’s next on his agenda. How about Kick-Ass 2? That’s what a lot of people want to see, but according to screenwriter Jane Goldman, that’s not happening any time soon.

Several media outlets claimed that Kick-Ass 2 was ago, and that Goldman was busy writing the first draft of the screenplay. The scribe caught wind of these reports and went to Twitter to set the record straight.

“Saw a few erroneous reports today that I’m currently writing Kick Ass 2 script – sorry if anyone’s disappointed, but not true. Currently writing for 2 other projects, then on to lovely Matthew V’s next thing (right now, looks unlikely to be KA2) when X-Men post-prod’ ends.”

Sorry guys, Vaughn’s got more than one iron in the fire. We’re not sure what other films the director has on his plate. It would be interesting to know what takes priority over Kick-Ass. But then again, even though the movie has a solid cult fan base, it wasn’t a commercial success. He might just be going where the money is.

What do you think Vaughn’s next project will be? Do you think Kick-Ass 2 will ever get made?

Mark Millar Says Kick-Ass 2 Has Been Greenlit

Krystal Clark — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:57:52 +0000

Last week, we posted an article entitled, “Was It Bad Timing That Befell Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?” It pretty much explained the reasons why neither film was a huge commercial success, even though we’re sure they’ll gain a following on DVD. Despite its low ticket sales, comic creator Mark Millar recently revealed during an interview with BBC Radio that a Kick-Ass sequel has already been greenlit.

According to Millar,

“The estimate is [Kick-Ass] will do 100 to 150 million on DVD based on the American sales, you know, so it’ll end up making a quarter of a billion on a 28 million investment. So It should be okay. So the sequel’s greenlit, we can go ahead and do the follow up now, you know. The first made so much compared to what it cost it would be crazy not to.”

That’s true, the movie was a labor of love for director Matthew Vaughn who fought tooth and nail to get the film into theaters. And because of its low budget, they earned a decent profit but do they really want to push it? It’s gained a lot of momentum on DVD but I’m not sure if that’s enough to make another film.

Even if Kick-Ass 2 is greenlit and goes into production, who’s to say that it will gain enough support for a theatrical release? Lionsgate distributed the first film and they’ve invested in some questionable material in the past, but are they willing to take another gamble on this property?

What do you think? Do you want to see a Kick-Ass 2?

New DVD Releases: Kick-Ass, The Ghost Writer, Heroes

Andrew Payne — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:03:56 +0000

A good mix of DVDs this week as we get both an attempted blockbuster (Kick-Ass) and several smaller films that almost made Rotten Tomatoes explode with good reviews (The Ghost Writer and A Prophet). Plus, if you have kids, you can pick up a DVD to entertain them why you check out one of these R-Rated flicks with Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Of course, you may also be a glutton for punishment so there’s the final season of “Heroes” to help you there. Plus the DVD you can’t believe is real.

Check out the new releases below…

FEATURE FILMS

Kick-Ass

A couple weeks ago (with regards to The Losers) I remarked on how the instant comic/graphic novel to big screen success formula might be dead. Well, Kick-Ass is another example of why that just may be right.

It was hard to get much buzzier than this flick going in. Super-renowned comic, great trailer, tons of hype from critics and early screening geeks. This was poised to be the hit of the Spring.

Then it came out and delivered. Giving us a smart, funny, and obscenely violent romp that seemed a perfect fit for Summer. So in April it should have been a no-brainer blockbuster. Except it wasn’t. It didn’t even crack $50 million. Less than either one of those Amanda Seyfried movies with mail in the title.

But it wasn’t just that. Nobody talked about it. Nobody. For a week people seemed excited, and then when it dropped – everybody just seemed to sweep it under a fanboy rug. And now they’re dumping this movie on DVD with horrid TV Spots that make it seem like a movie made for 10-year-olds.

Yes, the graphic novel/comic flick may be dead – unless Scott Pilgrim can bring it back.

Or maybe you can bring it back by buying Kick-Ass on DVD.

The Ghost Writer

I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I plan to pick it up very soon on DVD.

Why? Because it got phenomenal reviews earlier this year. I like most of the actors in it, and I love a movie that isn’t made for 13-year-old boys and respects its audience.

There is one little caveat to renting this movie – it’s directed by Roman Polanski.

I’ve always felt a bit conflicted renting Roman Polanski films. It’s hard to reconcile supporting a man convicted of raping an underage girl who got away without any real punishment whatsoever. Still, the guy had made some damn fine movies – especially The Pianist – since his self-imposed exile.

I suppose I separate the man from his art, knowing that I can enjoy a movie without celebrating the man. But what does everyone else think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

If you have no conflict, you can buy The Ghost Writer on DVD.

Also:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Buy Now
A Prophet – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

“Heroes”: Final Season

It’s easy to rag on NBC. In fact, it’s so easy that it’s not even worth doing anymore.

Except in the case of “Heroes”.

It’s interesting that this DVD comes out a couple days after the Television Critics Awards, because it was only a few seasons ago that “Heroes” won ‘Program of the Year’ at that ceremony (won by “Glee” this year).

This category basically seeks to define the TV show that year that won everyone over – critics, industry types, audiences, ratings, advertisers, everybody.

In other words, this was a show that couldn’t fail. A mega-hit in the making. Now? It didn’t even get to 100 episodes. Imagine that happening to “Glee” or “Modern Family” or “True Blood” or some other acclaimed buzz machine.

You can’t. Why? Because they’re not on NBC.

So when you buy “Heroes” on DVD, shed a little tear for NBC.

“Hawaii 5-0”: Season 9 – Buy Now
“Mercy”: Complete Series – Buy Now

And, Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

See this movie to finally answer the question – “How can you save yourself if you’re already dead?”

What DVDs are you looking forward to picking up this week?

Mark Millar Talks Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall

Krystal Clark — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:46:45 +0000

It’s no secret that a sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass adaptation is in the works. Even though the film wasn’t a huge commercial success, it made enough money to warrant a follow up. According to Movieweb, Kick-Ass creator and writer Mark Millar recently opened up about his comic book sequel entitled Kick-Ass: Balls to the Wall and discussed how it will tie into the upcoming movie version.

He revealed that he’s currently working on the comic and he should be done by Christmas. At that point he plans on working with Vaughn on the film adaptation next spring (April). Here’s what he had to say in regards to where the first Kick-Ass left off and where the new one will pick up.

The film and the comic book are very closely tied together. There are only a few minor changes towards the end. It does led directly into a sequel, and I am writing the sequel as I always planned it to be. The actors may be a little bit older, or bigger. They can address that in the movie. But I am not changing anything for the comic book. We left things off with her being adopted by this extremely nice man. He is a cop. And she has to stop killing people, you know? That seems like an interesting starting point in the next one in regards to her character.

She is going to be like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, where she hasn’t picked up a gun in years. It’s that type of thing. I like the idea of doing that with an eleven year old girl. She was part of this massive cacophony of violence. But she’s not allowed to kill people anymore. She is consumed with anger, and forced to watch TV shows instead. Halfway through the movie, or the comic, we will follow her as she picks up a gun again. It is going to be awesome.

As for the future of Red Mist…

He heads off and develops his martial arts skills. He learns how to become a better villain. That type of thing. He is going to come back and wreck unholy vengeance on our team. But in reality, he just comes back and gets stoned, and he spends a lot of money. He can’t do anything, so he hires this bad ass girl from Russia, she comes into the story, and her plan is to kill Hit Girl. Red Mist becomes like Charles Manson. He goes on-line and influences a bunch of young villains to go against Kick-Ass and Hit Girl. The whole thing ends up as a big gang fight like you’d see in The Warriors. There is going to be a big gang fight in the middle of Times Square between all of these costumed heroes. And at the head will be the Red Mist and Hit Girl.

This fight sounds like a scene taken directly from the story mode of Tekken 5. Other than that, I’m intrigued. A Russian assassin chick going head to head with a revamped Hit Girl sounds like pure entertainment. I was really hoping that Red Mist would return as a true bad ass but he’s just going turn into a sociopath, which has a totally different appeal. Not necessarily bad, but different.

What do you think of Millar’s plan for Kick-Ass: Balls to the Wall?

Movie Releases: The Joneses, Kick-Ass, Death at a Funeral

Anet Hovhanesian — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:05:52 +0000

We have a number of films to choose from this week with a lot of solid potential. The stand-out film of this week is Kick-Ass, it’s almost impossible to find something bad to say about it. If comedy is more your thing then you are in luck. First we have Derrick Borte’s dramedy or “rom-com”, The Joneses starring the getting-younger-everyday Ms. Demi Moore and David Duchovny. It centers around a family not only living the American dream but they are also selling it to everyone around them. If you’re looking for a more obvious, laugh out loud, comedy then there is Neil LaBute’s film, Death at a Funeral. The film stars the always hilarious Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan or you could just rent the original that the film ripped off.

Check out all the films coming out this week:

The Joneses | Screencrave Review | Tickets and Showtimes
Kick-Ass | ScreenCrave Review | Tickets and Showtimes
Death at a Funeral | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de sus Ojos) | Screencrave Review |Tickets and Showtimes
The Perfect Game | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
Exit Through the Gift Shop | ScreenCrave Review | Tickets and Showtimes

Watch the trailers below…

The Joneses

Kick-Ass

Death at a Funeral

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de sus Ojos)

Which film are you going to go see this week?

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:

Chloe Moretz Swearing Her F*ckin’ Ass Off: Is It OK?

Krystal Clark — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:18:09 +0000

Around this time last year Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Kick-Ass was considered the little engine that could. No studio wanted to buy it because they thought the content was too graphic. They weren’t just afraid of violence and gore because that’s been done to death (literally), they were worried about the dialogue given to the youngest member of the cast, Chloe Moretz. In the film she plays the knife throwing, gun toting superhero Hit Girl who drops plenty of F-bombs in between her kicks and punches.

Vaughn pretty much self-financed Kick-Ass and took it to Comic-Con 2009 to give regular people the opportunity to decide whether or not they could handle Hit Girl and her foul mouth. After it was screened not only did the audience laugh and cheer but they gave the director and the cast a standing ovation. Do you think the general population will be as understanding? Do you think it’s OK for a 10 year old to curse like a sailor even if it’s just for a movie?

Vote in our poll and let us know what you think…

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The language in Kick-Ass is abrasive and Moretz does have her fair share of R-rated material but if her parents are OK with it why should we be upset? It may seem like Vaughn and company gave her free reign to say and do anything but even they had to put their foot down when it came to certain stuff.

The other day we ran a story that discussed an amazing line that was cut from the movie because it implied that Hit Girl was a druggie who carried coke around in her Hello Kitty bag. They allow cursing, they allow guns, but they don’t f*ck around with drugs. The relationship between child stars and the “white stuff” is rocky one. There’s no need to write something like that into fruition.

Tell us what you think about Kick-Ass and whether or not the material is too hardcore for a child.

Get Kick-Ass Showtimes on Twitter

Laura Aguirre — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:34:51 +0000

The movie theater is where you need to be at when the clock strikes twelve tonight. Finally, Kick-Ass is here. So many of us have craved for this day to come, and up until now we’ve only had cool clips, awesome posters and Kick-Ass trailer to satisfy our cravings, but the wait is finally over! Lionsgate — also excited about the release of Kick-Ass — decided to do something nice for moviegoers today by letting us know, via Twitter, exactly what theater to go to and their showtimes.

Sure, you could just look it up on Fandango, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to use their Twitter feed and you can check out everyones reactions as they’re walking out of the theater. Go totwitter.com/kickassshowtime — It’s there for you. So hurry up (seriously) because you’re favorite theater is probably sold out and you need to speed it up and find another one to enjoy Kick-Ass at. Good luck and let me know how it all goes.

Where will you be at tonight?

Check out some other cool Kick-Ass posts below…

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?

Amazing Hit Girl Line Cut from Kick-Ass

Mali Elfman — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:17:50 +0000

Mark Millar, the author of the Kick-Ass comic book series recently spoke a little bit about Matthew Vaughn‘s upcoming release and some of the changes that had to be made so that the original series would work on the big screen. For the most part many of the changes that took place were to help the structure of adapting the film (so that it didn’t want to fall victim to some of the problems The Watchmen had), but some things had to be changed for other reasons. For however insane and violent the film may be, there were a few places Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman weren’t willing to go.

First Millar discusses the changes that were made to his original work…

Millar: Any changes they made they discussed beforehand (with Vaughn and Goodman) and I get why. A comic book is a monthly thing with an eight act structure, where as a movie three acts and people have to leave the theater feeling better then when they came in. So all the changes were made to make it a better movie. I think that movies like Watchmen, which are a very literally adaptation of the book and fails in that sense as a movie because it was a bit clunky in places, where as when Matthew and Jane made a change it for the sake of the movie, so I was happy about that.

One of the changes that was made was a scene being cut from the end of the film when Hit Girl and Kick-Ass are going up to the Penthouse to have a fight and when they’re in a lift (elevator) together, Kick-Ass notices that his 10-year-old counterpart is doing something unexpected…

Kick-Ass: What are you doing?

Hit Girl: Activating “Condition Red.” Dad gave me this for emergencies and said it would give me the strength of 10 men.

Kick-Ass: Is that cocaine?

Hit Girl: No lame brain. It’s a super-secret chemical compound designed by scientists. Now, open my Hello Kitty bag, I think I’m coming up.

Apparently, a 10-year-old “coming up” was just a little too shocking for the filmmakers. They had to draw the line somewhere and it’s at a kid using Hello Kitty bags for coke. I for one love the line, but I do get how that adds another dynamic to the film, one that might not be appreciated by parents and over-appreciated younger kids sneaking into the film.

This reminds me of one of the alternate lines from Fight Club where Helena Bonham Carter‘s says “I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school”, which if you watch the DVD extras could have been “I want to have your abortion.” Personally I think they went for the stronger line in the film. Pedophilia has to be worse than abortion right??? (ohh Catholicism…. I’m looking at your Pope-y.)

Kick-Ass hits theaters on April 16th.

What do you think of the cut line? Do you know of any other great lines that were cut out of films?

Watch more clips and check out the posters for the film now!

ScreenCrave.com » kick ass

Universal Saves ‘Kick-Ass 2′ From Development Hell

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FEATURE FILMS

TV ON DVD

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Kick-Ass: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 9/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

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