Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn returns to the director's chair the week with his new movie Kick Ass. The movie will be his first filmmaking project since Stardust back in 2007.

The movie is a big screen adaptation of Mark Millar's graphic novel and Vaughn has once again teamed up with Jane Goldman, who has penned the script.

The movie brings together a mix of established talent such as Nicolas Cage and Mark Strong as well as up and coming stars like Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz Plasse.

Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan with a few friends and who lives alone with his father. His life is not very difficult and his personal trials not that overwhelming.

However, one day he makes the simple decision to become a super-hero even though he has no powers or training.

Despite being on of the UK's most high profile filmmakers it's hard to believe that Vaughn has only made three movies, yes you heard me right three.

Vaughn picked up the film bug in LA during a gap year where he went travelling the world, ending up working as a director's assistant.

On his return him he started university but soon dropped out to pursue a directing career. However it was producing where he got his first taste of success.

After producing The Innocent Sleep he work on Guy Ritchie's Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch before moving onto Mean Machine only to return to working with Ritchie on Swept Away.

He finally made his directorial debut in 2004 with British gangster movie Layer Cake, starring Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney and Kenneth Cranham.

The movie was met well by the critics and Layer Cake has gone on to be one of best British movies to be produced in recent years.

Vaughn had a hiatus of three years, returning in 2008 with fantasy movie Stardust, penned by Goldman.

The movie brought together a great cast of Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Mark Strong but it wasn't as big a box office success as it should have been.

Based on the fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman Stardust was the feel good family film that took cinema's by storm last year.

It's a cross generational romp that has something for everyone as Vaughn seamlessly blends comedy, romance and action.

The director doesn't try to sell a concept that is driven purely by CGI, unlike many films that did the rounds in the summer of 2008.

Instead he gives the audience a story that the audience can get lost in and characters that we can empathise and root for. The movie isn't without computer wizardry as the lavish, but not over the top, production values ensures that the film consistently provides some impressive eye candy.

Since the release of Stardust the director has, once again, been rather quiet just producing last year's Harry Brown, starring Michael Caine.

But now he is back with Kick Ass. But it's won't be long until Vaughn is back on producing duties with The Debt, a script he has also penned.

The movie will be directed by John Madden and is set to star Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson and Sam Worthington.

Kick Ass is out now

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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