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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
Joel Silver Might Revive 'Swamp Thing' in 3D
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Here's a project you can file under "That might be pretty cool, I guess" although I can certainly think of a thousand things that could go wrong with it. The scoop-hunters at Collider chatted with producer-of-a-thousand-projects Joel Silver, who let slip about someone he'd like to revive: Swamp Thing. "I'm developing a picture now that I'd like to do ... I'll hopefully do Swamp Thing, which is a movie we've had for a long time. We think that would be great to do in 3D." Silver later amended the comment to a "maybe" so it's not time to yell or scream too much, as it is just a whisper at this point. Forget the Wes Craven movie or its ill-advised sequel. If you hang around a comic shop long enough, you'll hear Swamp Thing discussed in hushed and revered tones. Once upon a time, he was merely a B-movie kind of hero, a plant man who fought evil and sought the murderers of his wife while trying to find a cure for his condition. Then DC handed him to Alan Moore with a "Yeah, do whatever you want, the book isn't selling" and Swamp Thing became a member of "the Green," a defender of the environment, and a member of the Parliament of Trees. In characteristic Moore style, the character became loaded with mythology, spiritualism, and history. Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Brian K. Vaughan have all expanded upon the character in the years since, and other DC characters were wrapped up in his leafy mythology, notably John Constantine, Poison Ivy, and Neil Gaiman's Black Orchid.
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."
Discuss: How Do You Reboot Superman?
Filed under: Action », RumorMonger », Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Okay, so what are we going to do about Superman? Obviously Bryan Singer is done with the Man of Steel; he's moved on to other projects. Meanwhile, Mark Millar (the brains behind Wanted and Kick-Ass) has been extremely vocal in his quest to take over the superhero franchise ... but his (and our) cries and screams seem to have been ignored by Warner Bros. Now, however, Millar has returned to update fans on his blog and unfortunately it doesn't sound very promising. He says, "Warner's talked to us and a few other writer/ director teams, but things seem to be in stasis right now. As far as I understand, nothing is happening with Superman at the moment and so the director and I are just working on another project. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, no biggie."
Millar went on to vent a little more, adding a cheap shot or two ("The idea of taking notes from the guys who liked the idea of Superman lying in bed for the final act of Returns doesn't sound good to me"), and looks to be just about out of the running for a reboot that really needs to succeed this time around. And that's probably why Warners is taking so much time with it -- they desperately need to get Superman right, and they desperately want that one-two punch of Supes and Batman. As Millar notes, "I think Avika Goldsman (Batman and Robin dude) has been charged with rethinking them to match the Marvel juggernaut."
But how do you reboot Superman in an age where folks want their superheroes dark and a little bit dirty? Do you start from the beginning or pick it up somewhere in the middle, like Singer did? What do you want to see? Which villains should they include? And who the hell do you get to play the big S?
Mark Millar Wants to Make An 8 Hour Superman Epic
Filed under: Action », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Fandom », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
I think the dust has pretty much settled on the story of the Superman reboot. Presumably, the Man of Steel's fate is being plotted out in those DC-Warner Bros meetings. Are they going dark and Christopher Nolan-ish? Is Bryan Singer in or out? Anyone penned a script yet? Like most of the DC properties, Superman seems to be sitting in uncomfortable limbo.But at least one man is chugging right along -- Mark Millar has been talking for months about his Superman script, and the "big Hollywood action director" who wants to shop it around for him. Now, he's told Empire his big pitch and goal, which is nothing short of a Superman epic. Millar wants to make an 8-hour saga, split into three films, Lord of the Rings style. "It's gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him. The Dark Knight showed you can take a comic book property and make a serious film, and I think the studios are ready to listen to bigger ideas now ... I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers."
Wow. That's a reboot, all right. Somehow, I would expect nothing less in scope from the man who fed Daredevil and the Punisher to dinosaurs. (See Wolverine: Old Man Logan.) I think that sounds too exhausting to even contemplate -- but if there was a superhero to give an epic series to, it would probably be Superman. I'll hand it over to you to think about.
Geek Daily: Who's Sad, Who's Mad, and Who's Just Happy to Be Here
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », War »
I think this is the quietest week in the land of the nerdy since I started here at Cinematical. No major casting news from Marvel, no new graphic novels optioned, no reboots announced. It was a pretty crazy summer when it came to superheroes -- maybe everyone is just really tired. Nevertheless, let's look at what has come across the wire, shall we? It's a very verbal day -- Alan Moore still hates Hollywood, William Shatner is still annoyed at JJ Abrams, and M. Night Shyamalan is all wistful. There's plenty to discuss here!- Geoff Boucher interviewed Alan Moore over on HeroComplex and finds him as intractable as ever when it comes to the upcoming Watchmen movie. He believes it sounds like "more regurgitated worms" as Hollywood is wont to produce. (Not just of his work, mind you, but of films in general.) He even hinted that its recent legal woes (which he finds "wonderfully ironic") might, in fact, originate from his corner of the world. "Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come." I'm not surprised, but I do wish he could concede that there are good films just as there are bad comic books. Can we send him something by Darren Aronofsky? Perhaps a gift set of The Fountain and its graphic novel companion?
Geek Daily: 'Spidey 4, 5', 'Hulk' Sequels and More!
Filed under: Action », Independent », Casting », Deals », Sony », Universal », RumorMonger », Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
The Geek Beat is taking a late-September vacation to Middle Earth -- but it will be back next month and those of you suffering withdrawels can always check the archives. In the meantime, you can relax with a daily round-up of nerdy news bites. (They taste like coconut!) This is relaxing for me, too -- I get to catch up on my reading, my Halloween shopping, and my yoga. I can stay up all night re-reading Preacher (you know I will) and not waiting for an X-Men Origins: Wolverine story. A good way to end summer! Now, onto today's news ...
- According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeffery Erb and Robert Robinson Jr. have launched Framelight Productions with an eye to producing edgy comic and graphic novel adaptations. They already have options on Larry Hama's Dr. Death with Kip and Muffy, Gary Reed's Deadworld, Ralph Tedesco and Joe Tyler's Sins of the Fallen, as well as their 1001 Arabian Nights. (Clicking on any of those links will take you to previews of the books.) All of their productions aim to do one thing in particular -- involve the creator in all aspects of movie making. "We weren't the only producers wanting to make movies based on these creators' babies, but we were the only ones inviting them in as co-producers," says Erb.
- Edward Norton told MTV News that he's uncertain about the future of The Incredible Hulk and his role in it. There's been no word on whether they will be a solo sequel, or if Norton will be playing the Hulk in The Avengers. "The minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque. I won't say [they're] obtuse, but I don't have any idea what they want to do." Perhaps they're considering Matthew McConaughey, who had no idea he was rumored for Captain America -- but revealed to MTV that Hulk is really the only Marvel character he would like to play. (They could save on the budget -- all they have to do is dye that muscled dude green.)
Mark Millar Calls 'Kick-Ass' The Greatest Movie of 2009?
Filed under: Action », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
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Above: Nicolas Cage on the set of Kick-Ass
It's not like Mark Millar is the most reserved guy when it comes to his enthusiasm for his work, but even for him, this might be a little much. Over at Millar World (a fan forum), the man himself weighed in with an update on Matthew Vaughn's version of his comic series, Kick-Ass, and says, "I hereby declare Kick-Ass as the greatest movie of 2009." Pretty bold words for a movie that stars Nicolas Cage, don't you think? (you can read the full details over at the Millar forums.)
Aaron Johnson stars as the titular 'Kick-Ass' (better known as Dave Lizewski), an otherwise ordinary New York City high school student whose interest in comic books inspires him to become a real-life superhero. Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz also star as a father and daughter crime-fighting team known as Big Daddy and Hit-Girl.
Millar went on to give major props to the film's crew and cast, saying, "I lucked out with Wanted and Timur and James and Angelina. But nothing-- I mean nothing-- can prepare you for Nic and Chloe as Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. As I said to Nic after the first scene was shot on Saturday morning, this is a movie about comic-book guys MADE by comic-book guys.." Luckily for fans of the original series, it looks like the non-stop carnage that made the series so popular is remaining intact -- regardless of what Cage may have to say to the contrary.
I guess the actual release date didn't occur to Millar when he made his 2009 declaration, because Kick-Ass will arrive in theaters on January 1, 2010.
[Photo via Bad and Ugly]
Nicolas Cage Says 'Kick-Ass' Won't Be Gratutiously Violent
Filed under: Action », Independent », Thrillers », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass seems to be one of the projects of the moment -- either because it's a super slow news time or because Mark Millar has taken over the Internet. I suspect the latter. When this movie was officially pushed into gear, much was made of the violence of Millar's book, and how Vaughn refused to tone it down for the film. Studios fled screaming from it. But according to Nicolas Cage, it's not going to be excessive. "When I said 'yes' to this movie, it was to a script," Cage told MTV. "Then I started seeing the comics which are pretty far out in terms of violence. But I think Matthew and the script have a different style to it. I'm not fond of gratuitous violence ... There will be some moments of action that will be violent, but there will be a sense of elegance to it. [Matthew Vaughn] doesn't want to get gratuitous with it. At least that's what Matthew has told me."
Now, perhaps this is all a matter of perspective -- what studios see as over-the-top and gratuitous, Vaughn and Cage don't. But on the snap judgment surface, it sounds as though Vaughn is watering down Millar's book, which is hard to believe when he was so dedicated to the blood and guts that he funded it himself. I want him to stick to his guns (no pun intended) and make the movie that shocked studio executives. My future katana-wielding daughter must be portrayed accurately, in all her foul-mouthed and blood drenched glory. (For the record, I trained her, not her father. As if I would trust such a delicate task to anyone else.)
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