UNITED KINGDOM: Producer Brad Pitt drops in to London for European premiere of his latest film "Kick-Ass"

Record ID: 219819

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Producer Brad Pitt drops in to London for European premiere of his latest film "Kick-Ass"
  • Date: 23rd March 2010
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 22, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS ACTOR MARK STRONG ON THE RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARK STRONG, ACTOR WHO PLAYS GANGSTER FRANK D'AMICO IN THE FILM, SAYING: "This is a completely different ball game. It is an otherworldly, fantastically crazy sort of dynamic ride and I am really proud to be in it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTOPHER MINTZ-PLASSE, ACTOR PLAYING CHRIS D'AMICO / RED MIST, SAYING: "I have seen it twice now with an audience and I absolutely loved it. It is the most excited I have been for a movie I have worked on." CHRISTOPHER MINTZ-PLASSE TALKING TO MEDIA ON THE RED CARPET
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA4UYC6GJ803VF206OFZRCB212Q
  • Story Text: "Kick-Ass" producer Brad Pitt wooed London film fans when he joined castmembers from the film at its European premiere in London's Leicester Square.
    Film fans who braved poor weather in Leicester Square to attend the European premiere of Brit director Mathew Vaughn's latest offering, "Kick-Ass," weere treated to a surprise when Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt joined the cast of the film on the red carpet on Monday (March 22).
    Pit,t who sported a bead and was without his partner, Angelina Jolie, produced the film. The American actor took time to meet with fans but did not stop to talk to the media.
    "Kick-Ass" is the highly anticipated third film from director Matthew Vaughn, whose previous offering include "Layer Cake" (2004) and "Stardust" (2007).
    "This is a completely different ball game, actor Mark Strong told Reuters on the red carpet. "It is an otherworldly, fantastically crazy sort of dynamic ride and I am really proud to be in it."
    Christopher Mintz-Plasse, best known for his screen debut as 'McLovin' in "Superbad," plays comic-villain 'Red Mist,' and he echoes Strong's sentiments.
    "I have seen it twice now with an audience and I absolutely loved it. It is the most excited I have been for a movie I have worked on."
    But the film has already courted controversy in some quarters of the media.
    The film centres on teen comic book fan Dave Lizewski (Arron Johnson) who when not occupying his mind with fantasies of his female teacher, longs to become a superhero. Not deterred by his obvious lack of physical ability, Lizewski literally fashions himself a superhero suit from a green wet suit and ploughs head long into the world of crime fighting. Things take a turn for the worse when he inadvertently crosses paths with Strong's crime boss, Frank D'Amico.
    For the movie with a tagline of "I can't fly, but I can kick your ass," critics have taken umbrage with Vaughn's use of 13-year-old Chloe Moretz - who plays a fiercely aggressive, bad talking hit girl:
    "Well it is definitely a pretty unique role to play because roles like this don't usually come around like this for kids every day, so it is pretty amazing to play a crazy assassin girl," said Moretz.
    Dismissing the film critics, she went on to say, "It is a film, it is not real life, it is not meant to be portrayed as real life, it is for you to sit down in a theatre to watch and enjoy. And of course in real life if I ever said that, I would be grounded for the rest of my life, but..."
    Vaughn is even less tolerant of his critics, saying, "This (is a) movie for people that love the comic book and they would be more upset having no violence and no swearing in it than the people who are never going to watch this film who are just saying it is outrageous, but they haven't ever seen it and they never will see it, so I think they should just not get involved."
    Aaron Johnson who plays one of the film's superheroes, and who recently appeared as a young John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy," was joined by his pregnant partner at the premiere, film director Sam Taylor Wood.
    As with his fellow cast members, Johnson joined the chorus of defence for Vaughn's film.
    "This is an independent movie and he had the balls to go and do it himself. He took a big gamble and a risk and he has made an independent movie look like a blockbuster."
    With a running time of 106 minutes, "Kick-Ass" will open in the United Kingdom on March 26. It opens in North America on April 16.
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