Great timing.  I was just talking to Matthew Vaughn about the inherent difficulty of cutting a trailer for "Kick-Ass" earlier today.  He was bemoaning the fact that most of the money shots in the film are impossible to put in a trailer, either because of spoilers or because the MPAA would blow a gasket if you tried to show certain things.

That certainly ties your hands a bit when advertising a film, doesn't it?

Still, I think Vaughn knows exactly what he wants to do in terms of introducing the world of his film and the characters, and just like the teaser posters we ran the other day, the trailer takes the somewhat bold tact of introducing these characters without giving the names of the actors playing them.  So often, international financing these days, particularly on the indie level, is done based on "who can we put on the poster?", so hiring a Nicolas Cage and then specifically NOT saying his name?  Perverse and creative.  It may give the money guys fits, but I think it helps sell the reality of "Kick-Ass" from the get-go.

There were two things that Vaughn said he wanted to do with the marketing for this film as far back as a conversation I had with him before production started.  First, he always said he wanted the teaser trailer to use the opening moments of the film, involving the kid standing on the edge of the building with his superhero-suit with the wings.  Exactly like the trailer opens now.  That was important to him as a way of first establishing expectations, then demolishing them.

Second, he's always said that he wants to use the tag line, "No power, no responsibility," and I think that reflects just how askew the sensibility is of this film from what we're used to in the genre.  Smart choice, and I'm willing to bet that ends up a key piece of the campaign at some point. 

Ahhh, Hit Girl.  Just a hint, but enough that America should sit up and take notice of a superstar about to happen.

This is a far more comic and light trailer than I expect the final one will be.  Right now, this all looks like fun and games, and there's no hint of just how high the stakes are in the actual story.  Once people realize this isn't a joke, I think interest will go up even more.

Me?  I can't wait for April. 

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