Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to Kick-Ass, the hotly anticipated action-comedy from writer/director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust). Based on the groundbreaking, best-selling comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., Kick-Ass stars Nicolas Cage, rising star Aaron Johnson (upcoming Nowhere Boy), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) and Chloe Moretz ((500) Days of Summer). The screenplay is written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman. The producers are Matthew Vaughn, Brad Pitt, Tarquin Pack and Kris Thykier; Millar and Romita Jr. are co-producers. The announcement was made today by Joe Drake, Lionsgate President, Motion Picture Group, and Co-Chief Operating Officer, and Jason Constantine, Lionsgate President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions.
Kick-Ass is a privately financed independent production from Vaughn’s Marv Films and Plan B Entertainment, and is currently in post-production. Lionsgate anticipates a wide release in 2010.
Said Constantine, “Matthew Vaughn is an amazing talent and a true original, and he has brought a whole new mindset to the action genre with ‘Kick-Ass.’ ‘Kick-Ass’ redefines the boundaries in terms of humor, action, story, character and tone — it’s the kind of movie that reminds us of why we go to the movies in the first place. Lionsgate is thrilled to bring ‘Kick-Ass’ home to give it the next-generation launching pad it deserves.”
Said Vaughn, “Making and financing ‘Kick-Ass’ has been an amazing experience, and we’ve had two important goals from the start: make a singularly entertaining film and find the right studio to release it. With Lionsgate, I know that I’ve got a supportive and fearless team behind me. It’s going to be fun working together to bring the film to audiences and those who are already fans of the comic book.”
Said Pack, “The massive response we received at Comic-Con has been hugely important in launching the next wave of momentum for the film, and Lionsgate’s marketing and distribution talents are a perfect fit for us. Lionsgate is a studio that is not afraid to do things differently, and that is the attitude that has characterized ‘Kick-Ass’ from the very start.”
Kick-Ass tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name — Kick-Ass — assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There’s only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers.
His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Cage).
Source: Lionsgate
