Red Band Trailer for 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' has Nothing to Lose

Fox may have moved Matthew Vaughn's hyper violent spy flick Kingsman: The Secret Service to early next year, but they are sparing no expense in making sure it's a hit. And they're doing a pretty good job of it, too, because every piece of new footage is more fun than the last. Colin Firth as the world's greatest super spy? What's not to love about that? Plus crazy gadgets and colorful villains, like Samuel L. Jackson's lispy Valentine and a female assassin with razor legs? Sign me up.

A new red band trailer reveals some new footage, mainly focusing on the evil plot cooked up by Valentine. It's the one aspect of the story we hadn't been privy to from prior trailers, and it looks like he's found a way to cause mass chaos around the world. All of this as Firth recruits his nephew (Taron Egerton) into a secret spy organization in hopes of stopping the global threat.  Also starring Michael Caine, Mark Hamill, and Sofia Boutella, Kingsman: The Secret Service opens February 13th.

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New Trailer and Homage Posters for 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'

Maybe it was the crowd that was waiting with baited breath for the Marvel and DC presentations, but the footage from Kingsman: The Secret Service went over like a lead balloon at Comic-Con last summer. That must have been distressing for director Matthew Vaughn since the crowd there is exactly who they are appealing to. The film is based on the graphic novel by comics scribe Mark Millar (who also created Kick-Ass and Wanted), and it's basically a throwback to when spy movies were meant to be fun. And we see the fun Vaughn and Co. are having with the film in the latest trailer, plus four new posters spoofing James Bond's For Your Eyes Only.

Keeping his gentlemanly demeanor while beating up thugs with his umbrella, Colin Firth plays a Bond-esque secret agent who is tasked with introducing an unrefined street kid (Taron Egerton) into the espionage world. This one is full from top to bottom with spy riffs and looks like a lot of fun, especially Samuel L. Jackson as the eccentric, lispy villain.

Kingsman: The Secret Service opens February 13th.

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Matthew Vaughn to produce Josh Trank's 'Fantastic Four' reboot

Matthew Vaughn may have decided to bail on directing X-men: Days of Future Past, handing over the reins to Bryan Singer, but he's far from done with Fox's corner of the superhero universe. With his buddy Mark Millar serving as Fox's chief comic book consultant, it makes sense that Vaughn would come aboard one of the studio's biggest titles, Josh Trank's upcoming Fantastic Four relaunch.

Millar took to Twitter to announce Vaughn's joining the film as a producer, and the news was then confirmed by Deadline. There's nothing more to the story, but let's speculate a little bit. This could mean one of two things: Vaughn could be a bridge to crafting a larger shared universe that includes the X-men and other Fox properties. Could we see an X-men/FF crossover at some point?

Or this could be Fox's way of driving a wedge between the X-men and FF universes. Millar, who actually wrote the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic for a time, could begin working with Vaughn on that corner of the line, while Bryan Singer and producer Lauren Schuler Donner handle the X-men side.

Whatever the case, Vaughn is a solid addition and a veteran presence for Trank's film. As good as Chronicle was, this will be his first major high-profile project, with a budget to match. Vaughn can only help make the process smoother. Fantastic Four hits theaters on March 6th 2015.

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Could Matthew Vaughn be directing 'Star Wars: Episode VII'?

Well this is certainly interesting news considering we just spoke to Yoda designer and Star Wars effects guy Nick Maley about Star Wars: Episode VII. The recent news that Disney had bought LucasFilm with the intention of beginning the next of Lucas' trilogies has sparked a lot of talk, but nothing in the way of huge rumors about who might be spearheading it. That ends now with Collider's sources saying Matthew Vaughn(Kick-Ass) is the guy for the job.

Now this is all very much a rumor at this point, but there is circumstantial evidence to support it. For one thing, Vaughn rather abruptly just dropped out of directing X-men: Days of Future Past, and while the speculation was that he was moving on to a future Mark Millar project, that could have changed or not been true in the first place. One thing that's clear is that Lucas was lining up the pieces for Episode VII long before the sale was made. We know he and Kathleen Kennedy already met with screenwriters, so it stands to reason that directors were being eyed as well.

Another aspect to this whole thing is Vaughn's association with screenwriter Jane Goldman. The two have collaborated previously on X-men: First Class, The Debt, Kick-Ass, and Stardust, so if Vaughn is involved it's likely she is as well.

Assuming this is true, I think it's a smart move as Vaughn has shown a knack for big adventure, making the best use of his budgets, and working under a serious time crunch. If Disney is planning to have this film ready by 2015 they'll want to get the ball rolling soon. So let's see how this plays out, but I want to know what you think. Is this a good move?

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Matthew Vaughn exits 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

If you recall the production process on X-men: First Class, you might remember that it was a rather torturous experience for Matthew Vaughn. He was crushed by a ridiculously short schedule, leading to a number of creative issues and personnel dropping out of the troubled film. But that doesn't appear to be the case for the sequel, X-men: Days of Future Past, which was set to begin filming early next year for release in July 2014. Plenty of time, right? So it's a bit surprising to learn that Vaughn has dropped out of the film, only sticking around as a producer.

As worrisome as that may be, there is some good news. Apparently the guy who is at the top of Fox's list to replace him is Bryan Singer, the man who directed the much-loved first two X-men movies. Singer was originally set to direct X-men: First Class, and his participation in future X-men flicks(possibly X-men 4) has been expected. It was Singer's departure to direct Superman Returns that really sent the mutant-verse over the cliff, and it never really recovered until Vaughn brought it back last year.

So what will Vaughn be doing instead? It sounds like he'll be tackling an adaptation of The Secret Service, a comic created by Fox's new head of creative consultant, Mark Millar. Vaughn directed Millar's Kick-Ass a couple of years ago, and the two have been close ever since. It was just last year that Vaughn acquired the rights to The Secret Service, as well as Millar's Superior, with plans of bringing them both to the big screen.

Singer's been in a funk for years, and with Jack the Giant Slayer not really gaining much in the way of positive momentum, a return to the X-men universe may be what he needs. [Deadline]

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Matthew Vaughn plans to direct upcoming thriller, 'Lexicon'

So far, Matthew Vaughn has found amazing success adapting the work of others. Nothing wrong with that. He began his career with the Brit gangster film, Layer Cake, which first introduced people to the James Bondness of Daniel Craig. He followed that up with Neil Gaiman's Stardust, but he's found the most success of his career bringing comic books to the silver screen. Kick-Ass turned out to be a minor sensation a couple of years ago, quickly followed up by the awesome X-men: First Class. With a number of projects kicking around with Kick-Ass creator, Mark Millar, Vaughn is picking up the rights to an unreleased novel with plans to write and direct it.

Deadline reports that Vaughn will write and direct a big screen adaptation of Lexicon, an upcoming novel by Max Barry. The story centers on a secret society of poets that deploy words as weapons of persuasion. When a young woman joins their ranks, she falls in love with another in the group, which poets are not allowed to do for some mysterious reason.

The book doesn't come out until the middle of next year, but Vaughn became attached when Barry sent him an advance copy. Sounds like another case of writing books for the screen. A practice which I'm starting to hate more and more. Anyway, Vaughn will be busy as a producer on Kick-Ass 2, which should begin filming late this summer. In January he'll get crackin' on the sequel to X-men: First Class.

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Wait...'Kick-Ass 2' might really shoot this summer?

We've learned over time to not exactly trust the words that come out of Mark Millar's mouth. The creator of Kick-Ass, Wanted, and other buff comic book properties has a long history as a fountain of misinformation and hyperbole. For instance, he's been promising us Kick-Ass 2 for more than a year now, and nothing he's said has ever come to pass. In the last couple of weeks he was at it again, stating that the sequel would film this summer, and of course nobody believed him. Now a different, more credible source has said the same thing, and suddenly it's looking like this might actually happen.

While attempting a record breaking 50hr autographing and sketching session in Las Vegas, artist John Romita Jr. revealed to a fan that the deals are signed, sealed, and delivered, and that filming would begin this summer for a release next May. Romita Jr. is the artist on the Kick-Ass comics and credited as one of the creators, so he would know a thing or two about it. He also revealed there may be an animated sequence in the film that he would like to take charge of. That may be worth the price of admission alone.

With director Matthew Vaughn busy with the X-men: First Class franchise, he'll only be in a co-writer/producing role this time. However it's possible he may not be the only change afoot for the sequel. The most popular character in Kick-Ass was Hit Girl, played by rising star, Chloe Moretz. With her schedule looking mighty crowded(she'll be in Dark Shadows this weekend), it's possible the new director may have to look elsewhere for someone to don the purple wig. Moretz will be filming the Carrie remake this summer, and is also trying to work The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea(with Zach Braff and Jessica Biel) into her schedule. It's possible she could still fit Kick-Ass 2 in, but they would have to backload her scenes to do it. Plus, there's the issue of her age, as she's grown considerably in the last two years. I don't see it as too big of an issue, but others may see things differently.

If this all turns out to be true, then we should start hearing word on the creative make-up of Kick-Ass 2 very soon.  A new director must be found, the principle players locked up, and some fresh new faces added. It looks like this is actually happening, folks. [BleedingCool]

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Mark Millar says 'Kick-Ass 2' will shoot this summer. Yeah right.

Why does anybody believe anything Mark Millar has to say about...well, anything? The comic book scribe behind such film adaptations as Wanted and Kick-Ass is basically a fountain of misinformation when it comes to the progression of future projects. Like last March when he told us Kick-Ass 2 was greenlit, then two weeks later it was revealed to be a lie? The film still isn't officially a go as far as I can tell, but don't tell that to Millar, who claims it will actually be shot in just a few months...

Millar: “We shoot Kick-Ass 2 and American Jesus this summer. Then Matthew and I have Secret Service, which is a neddy James Bond.”

Whether or not he's trying to imply that the first film's director, Matthew Vaughn, will be involved isn't really clear. If so, it would likely be in a producer or co-writing capacity, as he'll be busy with an X-men: First Class sequel around that time. It should also be made clear that none of the Kick-Ass cast is signed to return, including it's breakout star, Chloe Moretz. Lionsgate has said nothing on the film's start date, so as usual take this with a serious heaping of salt.

While most of the Millar film adaptations have been straight forward action, American Jesus promises to be something totally different. The story follows a boy who discovers he is Jesus Christ, and sets out to find his place in a world in turmoil. The 2004 comic was provocative and insightful, and Millar sounds as if he'll adapt the material to the big screen faithfully...

Millar: “A lot of people are surprised because much of my work is irreverent and expect the same with American Jesus. But I want it to be a beautiful film. A film about the returned Jesus Christ has amazing artistic potential. Jesus shows up in the middle of the financial crisis, America is in turmoil and the Eurozone is collapsing. They are quite apocalyptic times that we are living in with the gap between rich and poor."

It was last October we learned Matthew Vaughn was set to take on two more Millar adaptations, one was the kid superhero comic, Superior. The other was The Secret Service, based on Millar's upcoming comic teaming him with Watchmen artist, Dave Gibbons....

Millar:  "We came up with this idea of a wee ned who becomes a gentleman spy, ditching his trainers for his Savile Row suits and being taught how to speak properly. I am halfway through the comic and Matthew and I are halfway through the script. There is a good role for a 50-something actor to play an older gentleman spy training this young kid. There are not a lot of tough actors in that age group but you would never believe Colin Firth or Hugh Grant in a fight scene. We are bouncing names around."

While that may sound like a lot, it's not even close to all that Millar has in store. A sequel to Wanted has been in the works for years, with the major hang up being Angelina Jolie's refusal to return, and her possible replacement by Kristen Stewart. James McAvoy is contractually bound to come back. The latest news on the film came last September when the film's original writers were hired to start work on the sequel.

Also, Millar has an adaptation of his evil superhero comic, Nemesis, in the works as well. Joe Carnahan(The Grey) is set to direct the film about a Batman level genius who uses his powers to wreak havoc. Michael Fassbender and Liam Neeson are reportedly in consideration to star. [Daily Report]

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Sure Shots: Aubrey Plaza; 50 Cent; Matthew Vaughn

* If Roman Coppola wanted to draw attention to his long awaited(over a decade!) sophomore directing effort, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, then he made a smart choice in snagging Charlie Sheen for a role that sounds eerily close to his own wacky life. But if Coppola wants the film to be any good, he'll need more help than that. And so along with co-star Jason Schwartzmann, he's now added the sardonic wit of Aubrey Plaza(Funny People). The story centers on Swan, a successful and irresistable graphic designer whose life goes into a tailspin after his girlfriend breaks up with him. [Variety]

* Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. >sigh< I know, it seems like the rapper/bullet magnet is in another film every single week. It's not that far from the truth, as he's hooked up with producers Randall Emmett and George Furla who are making movies just for him. The next is The Pursuit, about a cop and a criminal teaming inadvertently teaming up to capture a bank robber, each for their own personal reasons. They are pursued by a US Marshall trying to get to the robber so he can face proper legal justice. [Deadline]

* So chatty comic book creator Mark Millar has finally started to accept that Kick-Ass 2 may not even happen, and if it does Matthew Vaughn likely won't be back as director. Awesome. That doesn't mean the two won't work together again, though. In fact it seems like a certainty, as Vaughn has picked up the film rights to Millar's comic, Superior. It's a really good story, actually, and one of Millar's best. It centers on a young boy suffering from multiple sclerosis, who idolizes a comic book hero by the name of Superior. When an alien being arrives on earth and chooses the boy to have one wish fulfilled, he gains the ability to turn into his idol.

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You might be waiting awhile for that Kick-Ass sequel

Matthew Vaughn's been slogging through(some would say struggling with) the production of X-men: First Class, which might make you think he'd want to escape the comfort of a pet project once that was over.  Something like say...Kick-Ass 2?  Mark Millar, who has been working on the comic book sequel to Kick-Ass, basically confirmed that a film version had already been greenlit, but no official word ever came down. Now it's looking like Vaughn might not be making Kick-Ass 2 for awhile, if his frequent writing partner Jane Goldman is to believed.

This is what Goldman tweeted....

Saw a few erroneous reports today that I’m currently writing Kick Ass 2 script – sorry if anyone’s disappointed, but not true. Currently writing for 2 other projects, then on to lovely Matthew V’s next thing (right now, looks unlikely to be KA2) when X-Men post-prod’ ends.

I'm pretty sure we'll get that sequel at some point, but Vaughn is way too busy to even be thinking about any future plans right now.  With that said, what are the chances of Vaughn and Millar re-teaming for a film version of Superior?

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New Kick-Ass Redband Trailer featuring Hit-Girl! Not Appropriate for Work!!

Short and sweet. The redband trailer for Kick-Ass, featuring Chloe Moretz(500 Days of Summer) hackin' up a bunch of dudes? Pretty god damn crucial. Check it out and let us know what you think!

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