MatthewVaughn Tagged Articles at Cinematical
See A Little 'Kick-Ass' In This Teaser Trailer
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », Lionsgate Films », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Trailers and Clips »
The teaser trailer for Kick-Ass has arrived! Having been subjected to so much hype by everyone luckier than me at ComicCon, it's a bit of a let down because there's just not much ass-kicking going on. It's basically an animated version of the poster, introducing you to the characters while showing a little more blood and smacks. But hey, this is just the beginning and I don't expect them to spill all the cool stuff in the first glimpse.
I do like what I see, though. On the surface it looks like a teenage Watchmen but with a lot of emphasis on how fun it is to be a vigilante. There's no awkward geek humor on display. The characters are young comic book fans, but we aren't subjected to any "Ow, it hurts to be an action hero" moments. Instead, it's all about the action and potential for violence. Kick-Ass is confident! He doesn't shirk from being a superhero. In his mind, he's as worthy as Batman, and he's able to take the pain and punches. I like that, and I expected no less from Matthew Vaughn. My favorite remains Hit Girl, though. Her costume is practical, there's nothing creepy or sexual about her (so far), and her knife-flinging is lethal. Plus, she does appear to have Nite Owl's greatest fan as her father. The resemblance goes further than just the poster, and I want to believe we'll leave this theater saying "This makes up for Bangkok Dangerous, Mr. Cage."
The trailer is embedded below the jump, courtesy of MySpace. Kick-Ass hits theaters April 16, 2010.
'Kick-Ass' Is Coming! Get Ready!
Filed under: Action », Independent », Lionsgate Films », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Images », Posters »
Exclusives have become tricky things in our field that I held off sharing these Kick-Ass posters, which debuted on IGN on Friday. But now you might need some inspiration for your Monday in the form of home made teenage vigilantes. Kick-Ass is based on the Mark Millar miniseries, and is directed by Matthew Vaughn. It's had a pretty crazy ride to the big-screen, as when it was first optioned no studio wanted to touch it because of its teenage violence and foul language. Vaughn went the indie route and it's paid off with a lot of ComicCon buzz, fan enthusiasm, and a distributor in Lionsgate.
So far, Lionsgate is handling the marketing well. The poster designs are quite classy (I've put a high-res version in the gallery), which go with the daring approach of not showing a single face. Instead we only get the, ahem, asses of Red Mist, Kick-Ass, Hit Girl, and Big Daddy. I particularly like the nod to Nite Owl in Big Daddy's silhouette. Very appropriate for something that borrows from the real world "heroes" of Watchmen, no?
In a sign that its April 16, 2010 date isn't too far away, the official site went live on Friday and the trailer is set to debut on MySpace in 12 days. We'll bring it to you here on Cinematical, so no need for you to stress ... just us! Hey, we're vigilantes in our own way.
Gallery: Kick-Ass
Five Folks Who Could Direct 'The Avengers' Instead of Jon Favreau
Filed under: Action », Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Lists »
I know it's a huge bummer that Iron Man director Jon Favreau told MTV that he's not going to be directing The Avengers, Marvel's forthcoming superhero omnibus film that'll feature the likes of The Hulk, Nick Fury, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and whoever else the now Disney-owned studio wants to create a new action figure for. Favreau would love to do it, and he'll executive produce, but logistically he is just not going to be available to direct. Obviously that's not going to stop Marvel from moving forward with the guaranteed moneymaker, so here are five humble suggestions for replacement.
Before we let the fanboy inside us explode at the possibilities, let's keep things a bit grounded. They've got to be directors who could tackle something in the fantasy-action realm and they have to be available; so even though I'd be game for them, busy A-listers like Christopher Nolan or J.J. Abrams just aren't practical.
Lionsgate Pays to 'Kick-Ass'
Filed under: Deals », Lionsgate Films », Distribution »
The buzz is strong on Kick-Ass, and Lionsgate listened, much to the delight of fans of the comic book and the trailer that's been making people giggle at their desks. Variety is calling the deal "mini-major," which is good news for the studio that's been subsisting on Tyler Perry and Saw flicks for the past few years.Based on the comic by Mark Millar, the esteemed scribe behind the graphic novels for Wanted and other fan faves, Kick-Ass is directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, a high school superhero wanna-be who gets mixed up with a drug lord (Mark Strong), the ex-cop that's after him (Nicolas Cage) and his pre-teen daughter Hit Girl, and the superhero Red Mist, played by everyone's favorite McLovin', Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Read up on how this movie shall, in fact, live up to its name with help from Todd Gilchrist's San Diego Comic-Con report. "What was more amazing was that almost all of the clips weren't merely surprising, filthy, and kind of all-around inappropriate, but that they were hugely entertaining, in that way you react to when you're watching something that feels familiar and brand-new at the exact same time."
It sounds insane and awesome and I'd like to see it ASAP!
SDCC: Thursday's Hall H Highlights
Filed under: Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », ComicCon »
Cinematical got an early start on Thursday at the San Diego Comic-Con, commensurate with the effort put forth by the studios this year: in just one day, Disney, Fox, Summit, Sony, Overture and Focus all promoted big movies they're releasing between next week and 2011. The 'Con itself made history by offering the first panels in its 40-year existence that made serious and substantial use of 3D presentation, showing eight films at four separate panels, all of which looked terrific, even in the cases of the few that employed the technology as a gimmick rather than a storytelling tool. But rather than boring you with the minutiae of a day spent making one's butt sore in Hall H, the geek-mecca of Comic-con, we figured we'd just give you a list of the best moments of the day, whether they were reinforced by the rest of the attendees, or simply segments or even seconds that rewarded our dedication, if not our relinquished personal time.
SDCC: 'Kick-Ass' Lives Up To Its Name, And Then Some
Filed under: Action », Fandom », Exhibition », Comic/Superhero/Geek », ComicCon »
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By 6pm on Thursday, I was convinced that Hall H had shown me everything that would possibly be of personal interest, much less professional obligation to cover. And even as the panel for Kick-Ass began, I expected little when director Matthew Vaughn stumbled over his words in an effort to explain what the film was about. But after an introductory clip that featured an aspiring superhero who plummeted to his death after diving off of a skyscraper in a homemade suit, my curiosity was piqued. What was more amazing was that almost all of the clips weren't merely surprising, filthy, and kind of all-around inappropriate, but that they were hugely entertaining, in that way you react to when you're watching something that feels familiar and brand-new at the exact same time.
Among the craziness contained in the Kick-Ass presentation and panel:
Matthew Vaughn Will Direct Mark Millar's 'American Jesus'
Filed under: Independent », Deals », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious »
Mark Millar's American Jesus has been kicking around studios for a few years -- about as long as it's taken him to put out any more issues of the series. Sony Screen Gems nearly optioned it, but Millar pulled the plug on the deal in order to expand the story, with an eye on making it as enormous as Lord of the Rings. Once he actually thought about it a little more, he realized that 9 issues or so could make a single movie. Back in September, his Kick-Ass helmer Matthew Vaughn wanted to tackle it, but Millar still hadn't decided what to do with the story, and urged Vaughn to do Kick-Ass while he wrapped it up. He must have it plotted out now, as The Hollywood Reporter is saying that the duo is back to work on a film adaptation and looking at a summer start date. Meanwhile, Millar is still trying to get the comic's second volume done for a fall release, so don't hold your breath for American Jesus.
The story of American Jesus is right there in the title. A 12-year-old boy named Jodie Christianson discovers he is the Messiah. (The initials are a big clue.) From there, I'm honestly not sure what happens as I have only read the first issue (which you too can read at Newsarama), I just know there's some kind of cliff-hanger. Millar gave a few hints as to where Vol 2 was going: "I don't want to spoil the ending of Chosen for anybody who hasn't read that, but the second volume is about the adult Jesus in the modern day walking around in the world of Guantanamo Bay and conservative Republicans running Americans who don't have that much in common with a 2000-year-old Judean idea of what Christianity is. It's Jesus in the modern world, and they crucified him last time, so it's kind of updating that for the modern world."
Geek Daily: 'Watchmen' Settling, Nick Fury Casting News, and More!
Filed under: Action », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Scripts », 20th Century Fox », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Religious », Western »
First, let's tackle the Watchmen legal update. The Hollywood Reporter says that the January 20th court date has been canceled, and Warner Bros and Fox are talking about a settlement. It was expected we'd have one by now, since they started over the weekend, but it's apparently "serious" and probably heated too. You'll get your movie on March 6th though. What did we tell you?
Samuel L. Jackson might be out as Nick Fury, telling Hero Complex: "I saw Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, 'I hope things are working out for you because we're writing stuff for you.' Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren't really working that well. There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], 'We're not making that deal.'" But Geoff Boucher called Marvel Comics, who refused to report on active (their emphasis) negotiations. So don't count yourself out yet, Mr. Jackson.
Sam Mendes told MTV that he's still waiting for a Preacher script before he'll commit to the project, as he's not very good at "developing" projects, he needs to read the script. But he does love Garth Ennis' series. "I think it's absolutely brilliant. It's a gripping story, fantastic characters, great visual landscape. It mixes supernatural and real worlds brilliantly, it's not entirely a CGI creation if you make it into a movie. It's funny, and it's absolutely, completely blasphemous, possibly even sacrilegious I would say. Which might be a dangerous thing to take on. Whether or not I have the skill to make it into a movie, I don't know."
Geek Daily: 'Wimpy' Gets a Director, 'Atlantis' a Writer, 'Kick-Ass' a Set Report
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Scripts », 20th Century Fox », Family Films », Newsstand », Dreamworks », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
AICN's Moriarty has Part One of his visit to the Kick-Ass set online -- and it's such a long, enjoyable read that I honestly can't figure out what to cut and paste ... but I settled on his description of the character I once dubbed my future daughter, aka Chloe Moretz's Hit Girl. "Hit Girl's the coolest of the bunch. Her outfit's a variation on a schoolgirl outfit, but with body armor, leather-wrapped. She's got a purple wig and a small black mask, and Chloe's got a sneer that would make Elvis Presley proud, like if Batman adopted a tiny female Billy Idol as his sidekick." Check out the image they debuted below, and in a larger size over at AICN.
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Back in February, Fox optioned Jeff Kenney's graphic novel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Well, it now has a director in Thor Freudenthal, who's the hottest name for young adult fare thanks to the hotly-anticipated Hotel for Dogs. I'm sorry to say that in the intervening months, I never did purchase and read Wimpy Kid. Any fans out there who can shed some light? (By the way, Mr. Freudenthal -- with that awesome name, I hope you direct a Marvel film someday.) [THR ]
Last week, Len Wiseman signed on to direct Atlantis Rising, and now the project has a writer. Joby Harold is in negotiations to pen the adaptation. Producer Roberto Orci describes the project's appeal for those of us who didn't get sucked in by the comics: "In all the classic versions of this kind of movie, the threat is always from the stars. The idea that it's somehow our cousins who went off in a different path of evolution who have been here, literally, underneath our oceans ... That's fascinating, the idea of secrets right under your nose."[ [THR]
Continued after the jump ...
By the Hammer! Kenneth Branagh Directing 'Thor'!
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
See, kids? Superhero movies are classy now! According to Variety, the man of many parts, Kenneth Branagh, is set to direct Thor for Marvel Studios. I am pretty confident no one saw this choice coming -- there has been nary a whisper on the project since Matthew Vaughn left, and I really thought he'd probably swing back to it after Kick-Ass.
But somehow, this actually seems like the right fit for Branagh, who's taste has often leaned towards the bombastic. After all, scriptwriter Mark Protosevich told the Daily Herald last year that he saw the story of Thor in Biblical terms: "It's going to be like a super hero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a new Testament god." That takes a Shakespearean sort of eye, and while Branagh's directorial resume is middling, his best (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet) suggests he might just be able to deliver on the action and wit Thor calls for. Check out the embedded Much Ado clip after the jump (a bit NSFW) and see if that doesn't feel a bit like a comic book movie. If it doesn't, well, leave thine comments below.
But somehow, this actually seems like the right fit for Branagh, who's taste has often leaned towards the bombastic. After all, scriptwriter Mark Protosevich told the Daily Herald last year that he saw the story of Thor in Biblical terms: "It's going to be like a super hero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a new Testament god." That takes a Shakespearean sort of eye, and while Branagh's directorial resume is middling, his best (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet) suggests he might just be able to deliver on the action and wit Thor calls for. Check out the embedded Much Ado clip after the jump (a bit NSFW) and see if that doesn't feel a bit like a comic book movie. If it doesn't, well, leave thine comments below.
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
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Exclusive 'Nine' Poster Premiere!
Exclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrack
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