‘Kick-Ass’ Opening for 2010 SxSW Film Festival

Published by Jeff Leins on January 6, 2010

Matthew Vaughn’s R-rated comic book movie, Kick-Ass, has been picked to open the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin on March 12.

The independently-financed movie wowed audiences at Comic-Con in July 2009, which then started a bidding war among studios looking to be a part of the violent comedy.  Lionsgate won distribution rights and staged a premiere at Harry Knowles festival Butt-Numb-a-Thon, a 26-hour movie watching marathon also here in Austin.  The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, blowing film geeks away with sheer enjoyment.

Janet Pierson, the producer of SxSW this year and who did a great job last year, said this in the press release, “Kick-Ass is a truly fun ride, with non-stop action, clever humor, and even heart, which is exactly what our audience has come to love and expect from SXSW every year.”

The release also unveiled a few more films from the growing line-up.  Also debuting are Elektra Luxx, the sequel to the sadly little-seen Women in Trouble starring Carla Gugino as a porn star; Cold Weather; a documentary titled Lemmy about the Motorhead frontman; and SATURDAY NIGHT, a James Franco doc that peeks behind the scenes at “SNL.”  The action will spread to the Bob Bullock Museum’s IMAX theater this year, where they’ll host the world premiere of Hubble 3D.

I’ll be covering the festival in two months and my already uncontrollable excitement level has just skyrocketed to face-melting heights.  I wished upon a star the other night that Kick-Ass would play SxSW and it seems that boyish dream has come true.  Thanks Cassiopeia.  Oh, and Janet Pierson.