Lionsgate Acquires Kick-Ass
Last week it was reported that the Comic-Con presentation of Mark Millar’s creator-owned title “Kick-Ass” had generated a ton of interest, and that several studios are all in the running to bid on the picture.
Lionsgate announced that it has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to “Kick-Ass”, the anticipated action-comedy from writer/director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust). Based on the groundbreaking, best-selling comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., “Kick-Ass” stars Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloe Moretz. 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.
Three Studios Want To Distribute Kick-Ass
Lionsgate, Paramount and Universal are competing to buy Mark Millar’s creator-owned title “Kick-Ass” after Comic-Con presentation of comic-book adaptation has generated a ton of interest.
Director Matthew Vaughan (Stardust) financed independently after some studios found the project’s violence too graphic and some of its dialogue too profanity-laced.
Sony were initially onboard, but Vaughn split with the studio over creative differences; they wanted to turn the character of Hit Girl (who is 11-years-old in the comic) into a teenager, for example.
Transporter 3 DVD Achieves Explosive Home Entertainment !
“Transporter 3” achieves explosive home entertainment debut, selling almost two million DVD units in the United States and Canada during its first week.
Jason Statham is back as The Transporter and remains a potent force in the EuropaCorp produced series as Lionsgate’s “Transporter 3” proved dominant across all revenue channels this past week, including DVD, Blu-ray and digital downloads.
The non-stop, action-packed thrill ride from Lionsgate, a leading next generation studio, debuted with nearly two million DVD units sold in its first week and also marked Lionsgate’s top Blu-ray debut to date. Packaged media was not the only place where The Transporter packed a punch as the film, which earned $32 million in North America during its theatrical run, came out of its first week as the number two movie download on both iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand.
“Transporter 3″ achieved the highest box office-to-DVD conversion rate for all major DVD releases this week, and Lionsgate continues to maintain the highest conversion rate of any studio–approximately 20% higher than the studio average. “Transporter 3″ and “Bangkok Dangerous”, another Lionsgate action film starring Nicolas Cage that was released on DVD in January, are two of the highest converting DVD titles to date in 2009. “Transporter 3″ is likely to reach nearly $60 million in total home entertainment consumer spending or nearly 200% of its box office. Lionsgate’s current home entertainment year to date market share is 8%, according to Nielsen/Rentrak.
Saw V (5) Reviews
The advertising promises “You won’t believe how it ends,” but the problem with Saw V isn’t so much its ending, it’s everything that comes before. Oddly toothless, the entire flick feels like it exists solely as preamble for Saw VI. The greatest tension I felt was waiting for the movie to begin. I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and then the end credits began to roll and I realized the movie had, in fact, ended. As one of the characters says, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”…full story [Cinematical]
Even though the story is easy to follow along it has to be interesting. Now I think this film really goes back more to the first film and explains how the traps were carried out. Despite the fact that I think this film is in on par with the first film I think it also is just more of the same. The traps after awhile just become more weapons of destruction and aren’t as interesting as they once were. The film is not really horror anymore. Yes the blood does flow and there is plenty of gore but over time these films have just made that mandatory canceling out the horror of it all. In a way the audience is almost like Jigsaw. We have seen it all so much that it no longer affects us…full story [MoviesOnline.ca] Continue Reading…
Jason Statham in “Crank 2: High Voltage” Photo
Crank 2: High Voltage: Jason Statham
Lionsgate has released a new production photo from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor directed “Crank 2: High Voltage.”
The indestructible hopped-up hitman Chev Chelios, played to the hilt once again by Jason Statham, returns in “Crank 2: High Voltage”, picking up where the first film left off — except this time, Chelios is chasing a Chinese gangster who hijacked his heart and substituted it with a mechanical one that needs to be jolted with an electric charge to stay pumping.
The maverick directing/writing team of Neveldine and Taylor returns to inject more caffeinated craziness into burgeoning action series, with Amy Smart and Dwight Yoakam set to reprise their roles from the original. Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, Clifton Collins Jr., and Corey Haim round out the cast.
“Crank 2: High Voltage” opens April 17th, 2009.
“Saw V” Blood Drive Poster and Revised Teaser Trailer
Lionsgate horror franchise will be teaming up with Yahoo and the American Red Cross to take your blood, quite literally. They have released a second poster promoting Halloween Blood Drive and the October release of “Saw V“.
Here’s too the revised teaser trailer for “Saw V”, which features a new music cue.
In the fifth installment of the popular “Saw” franchise, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends.
In “Saw V” stars Julie Benz, Tobin Bell and Meagan Good. Scripted by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, it is coming out on November 24.
“RocknRolla” Is Very English!
“RocknRolla,” Guy Ritchie’s new movie is searching for a new distributor.
RocknRolla
The producer of Guy Ritchie’s upcoming gangster film “RocknRolla” Joel Silver has been screening the movie for rival studios Lionsgate and Sony in the hope that they will take it away from Warner Bros., according to the Los Angeles Times.
Alan Horn, chief operating officer of Warner Bros, said that he would honour a small-scale release agreement for “RocknRolla,” even though he doubted its commercial appeal.
“I think it’s a well-made picture, but while it’s funny in spots, it’s very English. [!] I don’t think it’s broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we’ll honour, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to,” Horn said.
He added that he would be open to selling the film to a rival if the right offer came along:
“If Joel is thinking there is someone out there willing to spend twice as much money as we’re willing to, I’m sure he will pursue that.”
RocknRolla’s scheduled UK release date is September 5, 2008. US release is expected in October.
Second “Punisher: Warzone” Trailer
We have added the new second trailer for Lexi Alexander’s sequel to “The Punisher“. The new film titled “Punisher: Warzone” stars Ray Stevenson and Dominic West. After hunting down and killing hundreds of violent criminals, Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, faces his most deadly foe yet: Jigsaw.
In the new film, continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals in America, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on an underworld boss who plots to take control of the underworld. Continue Reading…
“Punisher: War Zone” Red Band Comic Con Trailer
IGN has provided us with the new COMIC CON teaser trailer for Lionsgate’s “Punisher: War Zone“, featuring lots of action-packed scenes from the movie. The Film directed by Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) and starring Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchinson, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok and Julie Benz.
“Punisher: War Zone” is scheduled to hit theaters on December 5th.
http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/893/893105/punisher_warzone_072308_flvhighwide.flv
“Punisher: War Zone” Teaser Trailer
IGN Movies has debuted the new teaser trailer for Lionsgate’s “Punisher: War Zone“, directed by Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) and starring Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchinson, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok and Julie Benz.
In the new film, continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals in America, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on an underworld boss who plots to take control of the underworld.
Upcoming “Punisher” sequel, entitled “Punisher: War Zone is scheduled to hit theaters on December 5th.
Watch the trailer after jump Continue Reading…
