I just wanted to get this off my chest.
Back in April of this year, Mavel Comics published a comic book entitled Kick-Ass, which was billed as a "the most violent comic book ever." Intrigued, I picked up the first issue. I didn't find it good enough to continue on, so I stashed it with the rest of my comic collection. It basically told the story of a 15 year old kid who makes his own superhero costume and goes out and tries to fight crime. A realistic touch to it, no super-powers or the like. Just some kid who wants to kick ass.
Fast forward to present...
The series has had a limited issue run. So far, the third issue has just been published. I've been told that by this issue, "you're hooked." But I wasn't hooked on issue #1, so I didn't bother to pursue it.
But it looks like Hollywood did...
In May, director Matthew Vaughn announced that he was going to make this comic into a film. Initially, no studio wanted it, but he was able to talk it up with some independent backers, and now he has a $60 million dollar budget for the film. It's going to star Nicolas Cage, McLovin from Super-Bad, and Aaron Johnson is going to play the lead character Dave Lizewski, who actually looks very close to the comic book source.
But here's my rant...
Three issues? THREE?! How can this be? Vaughn co-wrote the screenplay with Jane Goldman. How can you co-write a story based on another medium when that medium hasn't even been fully published yet? It's like the movie already wrote the comic via script.
How desperate is Hollywood to cash in on the comic book movie frenzy when the comic book itself ISN'T EVEN DONE YET?!
I feel that this is Vaughn's piss-poor attempt to cash in on something he feels could be "big", and a way to make a buck. There's nothing wrong with doing that, I just don't approve of how he's doing it. The film is already now into production, which you can read about it from the director's own blog here.
Note how he already claims that Kick-Ass will be "he greatest movie of 2009." Sure thing, internet tough guy.
Now, I'm not criticizing the film or saying that it's going to suck, no. I'm just saying I can't believe that someone would be that desperate to make a movie that they would go ahead and do it without even letting the original source be told. And to already say that it's going to be the greatest film of the next year is a bold statement in itself.
I'm to assume that the comic book creators lead creative consult to the film (they'd have to, or else the film would most likely take a different direction than what the creator's initial intent was. Still though, consulting or not, if I were the creator's, I'd be mad as hell that this was happening), but that's it. How would you feel if someone took your work, made it into their own, and finished it before you did? Think about that.
They didn't even leave room for the creator's to let more word-of-mouth spread about their comic, but I guess now everyone's going to be scrambling to get them soon enough, only to be confused as to why there's three in-complete comic books. I only hope that my mint first issue goes up in price when the film comes out so I can make some money out of this.
If my information is wrong and there are more issues to Kick-Ass out (there may even be four to be honest, but no more than that I want to say), then please let me know. Otherwise, I think this is how it all is as of now.
/rant
Back in April of this year, Mavel Comics published a comic book entitled Kick-Ass, which was billed as a "the most violent comic book ever." Intrigued, I picked up the first issue. I didn't find it good enough to continue on, so I stashed it with the rest of my comic collection. It basically told the story of a 15 year old kid who makes his own superhero costume and goes out and tries to fight crime. A realistic touch to it, no super-powers or the like. Just some kid who wants to kick ass.
Fast forward to present...
The series has had a limited issue run. So far, the third issue has just been published. I've been told that by this issue, "you're hooked." But I wasn't hooked on issue #1, so I didn't bother to pursue it.
But it looks like Hollywood did...
In May, director Matthew Vaughn announced that he was going to make this comic into a film. Initially, no studio wanted it, but he was able to talk it up with some independent backers, and now he has a $60 million dollar budget for the film. It's going to star Nicolas Cage, McLovin from Super-Bad, and Aaron Johnson is going to play the lead character Dave Lizewski, who actually looks very close to the comic book source.
But here's my rant...
Three issues? THREE?! How can this be? Vaughn co-wrote the screenplay with Jane Goldman. How can you co-write a story based on another medium when that medium hasn't even been fully published yet? It's like the movie already wrote the comic via script.
How desperate is Hollywood to cash in on the comic book movie frenzy when the comic book itself ISN'T EVEN DONE YET?!
I feel that this is Vaughn's piss-poor attempt to cash in on something he feels could be "big", and a way to make a buck. There's nothing wrong with doing that, I just don't approve of how he's doing it. The film is already now into production, which you can read about it from the director's own blog here.
Note how he already claims that Kick-Ass will be "he greatest movie of 2009." Sure thing, internet tough guy.
Now, I'm not criticizing the film or saying that it's going to suck, no. I'm just saying I can't believe that someone would be that desperate to make a movie that they would go ahead and do it without even letting the original source be told. And to already say that it's going to be the greatest film of the next year is a bold statement in itself.
I'm to assume that the comic book creators lead creative consult to the film (they'd have to, or else the film would most likely take a different direction than what the creator's initial intent was. Still though, consulting or not, if I were the creator's, I'd be mad as hell that this was happening), but that's it. How would you feel if someone took your work, made it into their own, and finished it before you did? Think about that.
They didn't even leave room for the creator's to let more word-of-mouth spread about their comic, but I guess now everyone's going to be scrambling to get them soon enough, only to be confused as to why there's three in-complete comic books. I only hope that my mint first issue goes up in price when the film comes out so I can make some money out of this.
If my information is wrong and there are more issues to Kick-Ass out (there may even be four to be honest, but no more than that I want to say), then please let me know. Otherwise, I think this is how it all is as of now.
/rant
__________________
Everything I do, I do to make my second stepdad proud.
Everything I do, I do to make my second stepdad proud.