Kick-Ass 2010 Start for Lionsgate

Matthew Vaughn’s gamble (albeit a logical one) paid off for Kick-Ass – the trades are reporting that Lionsgate – a company who has some latitude or picking up pics that aren’t PG. They were apparently the top distributor in the running for the domestic rights to the pic which was recently featured and buzzed about at Comic-Con. With an already built in fan base for the source material and the geeks loving the eleven minutes of footage, this seems to be a good fit for Vaughn and Lionsgate. Look for a 2010 release – it might be their tent-pole film of the Summer.

Based on the graphic novel written by Millar and drawn by John Romita Jr., this follows a high school dweeb who attempts to reinvent himself as a real-world costumed superhero named Kick-Ass who seems doomed to failure because he’s not athletic or coordinated until he runs into real bad guys with real weapons. The comic is ultraviolent, with kids taking on adults of all stripes. Moretz’s character, for example, is a ferocious, potty-mouthed 11-year-old who chops down crime thugs with a ninja sword. Mintz-Plasse will play the Red Mist, the angry teen son of a mobster who tries to uncover Kick-Ass’ identity.

This may be beginning of the wave of films to go the Comic Con route hoping to find a distribution deals.