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"Try to have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?"
Comic book adaptation Kick-Ass enjoyed moderate success when it opened in 2010 — though the way comic book co-creator Mark Millar would continually bellow about the movie's success, one might think it was as one of the most successful movies ever made. In the interim, Millar and artist John Romita Jr. have come out with two more Kick-Ass comic book series, both of which form the basis of the movie sequel, Kick-Ass 2.
Back is Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, aka Kick-Ass, an ordinary high school student who decided to create a costume and fight crime. He will still be learning lessons from the even younger and tougher Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), who may now be without her father (Nicolas Cage) but not her desire to beat the snot out of every criminal she can get her hands on. Joining the sequel fray is Jim Carrey, who plays Colonel Stars and Stripes, who assembles a superhero team called Justice Forever. Unfortunately for all involved, Kick-Ass' nemesis Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is also back and has transformed himself into an even more fearsome villain and plans to get revenge for the loss of his father (Mark Strong). The first footage from the sequel has debuted in a new red band trailer that, considering the comic book and the original movie, is unsurprisingly NSFW.
watch the trailer >> Posted 03.13.13 by Ryan -
When Kick-Ass comic book creator Mark Millar said earlier this year that a sequel to Kick-Ass would begin shooting this summer, we pretty much thought he was full of hot air and hyperbole, like so many times before. After all, the original movie wasn't quite the monster hit that everyone expected, and title star Aaron Johnson is far more in demand now than he was before the first movie. Not only that, but break-out star Chloë Moretz was already bordering on being too old to play Hit-Girl when the first movie was shot, and now, at 15, she's definitely too old to play the 11-year-old character.
Well, it turned out that Millar was correct about Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall shooting this year, though his summer start date was a bit premature. We learned last month that the property jumped from Lionsgate to Universal and that director Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf) would direct, while original director Matthew Vaughn produces. Then, earlier this month, we found out that Universal was close to signing deals with each of the principal cast members. Now, Johnson has confirmed his return as Dave "Kick-Ass" Lizewski in the sequel, which he told Collider will be R-rated and should begin filming this Fall.
what did johnson say? >> Posted 06.18.12 by BrentJS -
So far, the most successful movies of the past few months (The Avengers, Men in Black III, Snow White and the Huntsman) have all been big-budget, special effects–heavy movies or sequels with established or well-known characters. Therein lies the challenge of marketing director Oliver Stone's upcoming adaptation of Savages. Despite being based on the novel by Don Winslow, Savages doesn't have the advantage of being based on known characters, yet, ironically, will have to contend with The Amazing Spider-Man on its opening weekend.
To help audiences become more familiar with the characters in Savages, Universal has released several character clips from the movie. All done in police interrogation-style interviews, which means that marijuana growers Ben (Aaron Johnson and Chon Taylor Kitsch) won't exactly be truthful about their business, and neither will Mexican drug cartel leader Elena Sanchez (Salma Hayek) and her enforcer Lado (Benicio del Toro). Ben and Chon's girlfriend O (Blake Lively), however, is willing to admit to her triumvirate relationship.
watch the videos >> Posted 06.14.12 by Ryan -
Director Oliver Stone's adaptation of Savages has a tough road ahead, competing against the highly anticipated The Amazing Spider-Man its opening weekend and family-friendly sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift the following week. It may seem cynical to think that the crime-thriller only has two weeks to make its mark on the box office, but the third week after Savages' release, The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters and will likely be dominating the box office.
Still, there must be a reason Universal decided to release Savages during tentpole season... The two latest TV spots provide some answers as they reveal explosions, weird masks, and rocket launchers while briefly describing a story about two marijuana growers (Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch) whose mutual girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel that the two friends refused to work with. Salma Hayek leads the cartel, and Benicio del Toro plays the mustachioed cartel enforcer who kidnaps Lively and forces the two friends to, as one of spots says, go to war.
watch the TV spots >> Posted 06.06.12 by Ryan -
When it was announced that Kick-Ass 2 was finally moving forward with new director Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf) replacing too-busy-to-return Matthew Vaughn, the news also came with the reveal that the original installment's cast (Chloë Grace Moretz, Aaron Johnson, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse) would have to work out new deals with Universal (Lionsgate released the first Kick-Ass). This led to speculation that some of the original cast might not appear in the sequel, though, considering how well the cast has spoken of the original in the intervening years, it seemed unlikely. Not to worry, the cast is even closer to a return, with added surprises as well.
more details about Kick-Ass 2 >> Posted 06.01.12 by Ryan -
While he has been more wrong than right, we have to give Kick-Ass comic book co-creator Mark Millar credit. At long last, his insistence that Kick-Ass 2 was in the works has turned out to be true.
In February, Millar said a sequel to 2010's Kick-Ass would start shooting this summer, which was hard to take seriously since Millar had made similar comments several times before, starting with the proclamation that the sequel would start production in 2011 for a planned 2012 release (which clearly never happened). However, according to Deadline, Millar is finally right this time, and Kick-Ass 2 is now a reality.
more Kick-Ass 2 details >> Posted 05.09.12 by Ryan -
Universal clearly has a lot of confidence in director Oliver Stone's adaptation of Savages. After seeing an early version of the movie in February, the studio decided to change the release date from September to July 6th, putting it in direct competition with The Amazing Spider-Man, which opens 3 days earlier. Now, we finally have our first look at Savages, as MTV has delivered the movie's first trailer.
Based on the 2010 novel from Don Winslow, Savages follows marijuana growers Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch), who refuse to join forces with a Mexican drug cartel led by Salma Hayek. The cartel sends an enforcer (Benicio del Toro) to kidnap the two friends' girlfriend (Blake Lively), which prompts the two friends to take down the cartel themselves in what looks to be an explosive showdown.
watch the trailer >> Posted 04.05.12 by Ryan -
Once again, Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) are teaming up for a period movie based on a novel. This time around, the duo is taking on the white-hot trend of basing a movie on a late 19th-century Russian novel dealing with the fallen bourgeois contrasted with the strength and intrinsic worth of the proletariat. Those are nearly as popular as movies about vampires fighting werewolves.
Four pics of Knightley as the title character in Anna Karenina were posted on the Focus Features website (and Collider), and they further illustrate the point that the actress can really wear any look from the past 250 years with panache. The new pics also feature Jude Law as Anna's dull politician husband Alexei Karenin and Aaron Johnson as the dashing Count Alexei Vronsky. (Seriously, Tolstoy? Two main characters with the same first name? This is why 12th graders hate you.) While only a few years ago it seemed impossible that Law could ever play the stodgy, boring husband, these photos make the casting decision look pitch perfect.
See the photos >> Posted 02.23.12 by Mandy -
Oliver Stone is putting together an appealing cast for his upcoming drama Savages, based on the novel by Don Winslow that follows two pot-dealing buddies who become involved with a Mexican drug cartel. When the cartel kidnaps their girlfriend, the two are forced to find a way to pay the ransom.
Last month, Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) were cast respectively as Southern California pot growers Chon, an ex-Navy Seal, and Ben, an environmentally-conscious Berkeley grad. Benicio Del Toro was also cast last month as a drug enforcer named Lado, who works for a drug cartel matriarch, to be played by Salma Hayek.
The latest cast additions, according to Deadline, are Blake Lively (Green Lantern) as O, the kidnapped girlfriend, a role originally intended for Jennifer Lawrence until she won the lead role in The Hunger Games. Pulp Fiction and Be Cool co-stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman will reunite in the movie, with Travolta playing a burned out DEA agent named Dennis, and Thurman playing O's mom, Paqu. Then there's Emile Hirsch (Milk), whom Variety reports has also joined the cast in an unspecified role.
Production on Savages starts in July. Winslow adapted the screenplay with Shane Salerno (Shaft).
Posted 04.23.11 by Ryan -
It's been a busy week for casting news, with several projects adding, announcing, or subtracting cast members.
In January, it was announced that Judd Apatow's next writing and directing project would be a spin-off of his successful, 2007 romantic comedy Knocked Up. The movie will focus on the married characters portrayed by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, instead of than Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen, in a story that has been kept under wraps so far.
Looks like Rudd and Mann will be getting some company, with THR reporting that Megan Fox is negotiating to join the comedy. What role Fox will play is also being kept secret.
It's no secret who Albert Brooks is playing, with Deadline reporting that the comedian is joining the cast as Rudd's dad.
more casting news >> Posted 03.19.11 by Ryan