Universal now plans a KICK-ASS sequel

While comic creator Mark Millar has been touting the “greenlight” for Kick-Ass 2 for years now, it turns out that production may finally get started this year.  Deadline reports that Universal is in talks to make a sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s excellent 2010 pic Kick-Ass.  Vaughn is currently busy developing a sequel to X-Men: First Class, so Jeff Wadlow will be taking over directing duties this time around.  Wadlow, who wrote and directed 2005’s Cry_Wolf and directed the 2008 fighting-centered Never Back Down, wrote the script for Vaughn who I’m assuming will be producing.

Lionsgate distributed the first Kick-Ass, but Vaughn owns the rights so he’s been shopping them around to distributors.  Per Deadline, it appears that Universal took a liking to the project and a greenlight is “expected shortly.”  The report also notes that talks have begun with cast members Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse to return, and the plan is to begin production in August.  All the actors have been vocal about their desire to come back for the sequel in the past, so there shouldn’t be a problem getting them to sign on.

The second series of Kick-Ass comics has Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl attempting to gather a group of superheroes against Red Mist’s gang of villains, but there’s no word on how closely Wadlow’s script will adhere to the comics.  Wadlow recently committed to directing the airplane thriller Non-Stop with Liam Neeson in the lead, but it’s unknown how Kick-Ass 2 would affect that film’s production.  Hopefully Wadlow can bring a distinct visual style to the sequel and stay true to Vaughn’s brutal yet humorous tone that he nailed in the original.

source: Collider