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It'll Be a Kick-Ass April Next Year, But August is Expendable

by Alex Billington
September 2, 2009
Source: Twitter

Lionsgate has just announced the release dates (via Twitter) for two highly anticipated upcoming movies. Normally I don't write an entire article for these kind of announcements, I usually just update the Release Schedule. However, these are two films I'm looking forward to quite a bit and I'm not happy about the date for one of them. Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables, starring Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, has been scheduled for August 20th, 2010. And Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass, the adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book, has been scheduled for April 16th, 2010. Not bad, but why skip the summer?

I don't get it - is Lionsgate scared of the summer? Why don't they make Kick-Ass a May or June release instead? Is it too expensive to market during the summer? Do they really think Kick-Ass will perform well in April? Sure it's an R-rated cult classic in the making, and I think they're going for the Crank spot (which worked well for the first one, not so much for the second one), but still. I personally think Kick-Ass deserves a better date, a true summer release, but Lionsgate probably won't change anything. So I'll just deal with it and do my very best to help make it a cult classic. Stay tuned for trailers and plenty more from both movies!

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zetsu

i've seen the a bootleg trailer & some clips from comic con on line,this film looks fucking great.really gory like kill bill fuck knows why it's taken so long to release from what i've seen i thought it would be ready for release the mother fuckers.
whomever

I'm anticipating The Expendables.
JoJo

No I don't think Kick ass will make as much as The Expendables. The expandables with August 20th release date and great marketing etc can easily open to $30+M. Kick Ass as you said will be a cult movie and I just don't see it doing 100M unless wom is out of this world. Secondly way too much competition in summer. Finally Matthew Waughn wants this to come out by spring 2010.
Sumit

Hey Alex I think they are spot on with both release dates. Kick-Ass is a very R rated hardcore movie with little public recognition (only one star, based on a comic book which the majority of the general public have never heard of). Although May is officially seen as the beginning of the summer movie season, studios have been experimenting with April releases and this year Fast & Furious & Monsters VS Aliens were both released in April (which surprised me as well!) And both were big hits. In fact F&F was bigger than all of Universal’s summer releases ($70m opening weekend)! Warner’s have also proven that an early spring release date is lucrative – in fact they have proved this consistently for the past few years: Constantine, V For Vendetta, 300, 10,000 BC, Watchmen. All films that could have been considered summer comic book/genre tent poles and all films that benefited form being away form the heavy competition of summer (note that most of these films are also quite edgy R rated comic book adaptations). I fully expect WB’s Clash Of the Titans next March also do similarly as well. You also have to remember that Iron Man 2 will own next summer and will be launching in May. Not to mention competition with Prince Of Persia, Inception, Toy Story 3, Shrek 4 and all the others. I would rather see Kick-Ass come put a few weeks early in April with no competition and KICK-ASS! And August for The Expendables seems like the perfect way to end summer!
Mike

You forgot that Fast/Furious was released in May as opposed to summer and was a HUGE hit (which your site gave NO credit to) Sometimes I think that you forget outside of this site, not many people know about the movies you're excited for. Other than here, I've heard nothing about Kick-Ass, but news from other big movies like Ironman 2, Toy Story 3, and Shrek 4 is always popping up! I think the expendables is smart by coming out last and carrying the buzz through a whole nother year, leading Sly to go into making Rambo 5!!
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

^ Fast & Furious was released on April 3rd, not in May at all! And exit polls showed that 60% of the attendees of that movie were latino. I saw it, I hated the movie, and just didn't want to cover it. It seemed to do fine without my coverage. But on the flipside, I want to support Kick-Ass as much as I can, and I feel like Lionsgate's first mistake is putting it in that April slot.
wrongturn687

I kinda agree with Alex on the whole summer thing for Kick-Ass. I really wanted it to be a big tentpole summer flick aswell, but honestly their is alot of competition in the summer and the movie probably wouldn't do nearly aswell. It's very possible it could do just as well, but with the big success of movies like Constantine, 300, Watchmen, V For Vendetta, F&F and Sin City in those March/April slots it's just too hard to resist for the studio.
Jay

But Alex there is no logic to what you are saying! Like you I am a GIANT Kick - Ass fan. I have the comics, can not wait for the film and think an April release is perfect! "Sumit" just gave a perfect breakdown of films that were released in April and were box office hits....so with an April release, Kick Ass has the chance to make money and does not have to worry about being smashed by the more known films coming out that summer...so tell me again why "Lionsgate's first mistake is putting it in that April slot"!!! I don't understand that. I understand you want to support the film...but putting it up agains Iron Man 2, Twilight 3 or Inception would not be good business at all...why do it
Ben

Yeah Alex I think you are a tad wrong. I know if Kick-Ass was released amongst a whole bunch of big-budget tent pole films then it would get lost, in fact I probably wouldn't end up seeing it because the people I go with would rather see something familar. You clearly want Kick-Ass to be a hit, thats cool, but in the day and age where sequels are usually shit and cult classics are few and far between, I am more than happy for this to be a tiny lil April release.
last Son

This sucks! The Expandables was suppose to come out in Feb next year. I have been waiting long enough already and now I have to wait longer.