The world premiere of Kick-Ass, the movie adaptation of Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr.'s excellent comic about amateur superheroes, will open the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival on March 12.
Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, a fanboy who channels his superhero obsession into becoming a crime-fighter. His costumed comrades include Hit Girl (played by Chloë Grace Moretz), Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
"Kick-Ass is a truly fun ride, with nonstop action, clever humor and even heart, which is exactly what our audience has come to love and expect from SXSW every year," said SXSW film fest producer Janet Pierson in a press release announcing the opening night pick. "We feel fortunate to have found such a tailor-made good time to kick off our 2010 event!"
Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust), Kick-Ass opens April 16.
Also on the SXSW slate this year: documentaries about rock 'n' roll legend Lemmy Kilmister and Saturday Night live, plus a 3-D space spectacle about NASA and its Hubble Space Telescope.
Other films included in Wednesday's announcement about the 2010 SXSW Film Festival lineup (with descriptions from the press release):
Lemmy: A documentary from director Wes Orshoski, the film delves into the personal and public lives of heavy metal icon and Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Nearly three years in the making, and featuring appearances by such friends/peers as Metallica, Dave Grohl, Billy Bob Thornton and pro wrestler Triple H, the film follows Kilmister from his Hollywood bedroom to the hockey arenas of Scandinavia and Russia.
Hubble 3D: SXSW will present the first public screening of Hubble 3D at the Bob Bullock Imax Theater. Through the power of Imax 3D, Hubble 3D will enable movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA's history. The film is directed and produced by Toni Myers.
Elektra Luxx: Following the successful world premiere of Women in Trouble at SXSW 2009, writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez returns with the world premiere of its hotly anticipated sequel. The film follows a hectic day in the life of former adult film superstar Elektra Luxx as she tries to survive in the straight world. The film stars Carla Gugino in the title role, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Malin Akerman.
Saturday Night: Directed by actor James Franco, the documentary looks at what it takes to create an episode of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Follow behind the scenes as the actors, writers and producers go through one frenetic week of trials and tribulations as each volley to get sketches on air.
Cold Weather: SXSW alum Aaron Katz directs this feature about a former forensic science major and avid reader of detective fiction, who, after making a mess of his life in Chicago, returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon. There, he, his sister Gail and new friend Carlos become embroiled in something unexpected.
The SXSW film fest runs March 12 through 20. The full lineup of films showing during the increasingly influential festival will be announced in February.
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