Under most circumstances, studio executives who buy a film based on an obscure comic-book franchise featuring a down-on-his-luck star, as well as 10-year-old characters shooting adults in the face would be in a flop sweat.
But Lionsgate officials are almost giddy in anticipation of the Matthew Vaughn-directed “Kick-Ass,” which enters high-profile screenings next week at ShoWest and South by Southwest -- as well as its official premiere on April 16 – with some of the best pre-release movie buzz in recent memory.
It's easy to see why. One trailer features what appears to be a 10-year-old girl -- named "Hit Girl" -- draped in a purple wig and wielding a Tarantino-sized revolver as she knocks off scary-looking dudes in one scene after
another. In one she actually gets shot in the chest (though doesn't die).
“We have done a series of word-of-mouth screenings with the Comic-Con demographic around the country, and the response has been terrific,” said Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns to TheWrap.
Jason Constantine, president of acquisitions and co-productions for the studio, was even more emphatic: “This movie has played like a rock concert,” he said.
That's understandable, though it's also easy to imagine some parents being shocked into protest against the kids-and-violence tone, however comic.
As one excited fan recently noted on a fan site that featured the trailer noted, " I can't decide what I'm more interested in -- seeing the film or the inevitable freakout from special-interest groups."
Pre-release box-office tracking doesn’t yet exist for the film, which is more than a month away from its theatrical release.
But fanboy sites have been raving about it nonstop, with one Ain't It Cool News reviewer calling his test-screening experience "f***ing awesome!!!"
In fact, "Kick-Ass" generated stronger buzz than any other movie at Ain't It Cool founder Harry Knowles' "Butt-Numb-a-Thon" film festival. And Collider.com blogger Adam Goldberg presented the red-band trailer with a tinge of remorse:
