Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass going into production

Director Matthew Vaughn is moving ahead with the film version of Kick-Ass, an adaptation of the comic series by Mark Millar (who wrote the Wanted comic series), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad) is in talks to join the cast, and Chloe Moretz (The Eye, Bolt) has already committed to the film. Hollywood studios have apparently passed on making producing the project in-house, because of the violent nature of the material (hmmm, see Wanted anyone?). The director has raised $30 million himself, and will produce it independently. This after first bringing it to Sony, who distributed Layer Cake, but who balked at the violence, which he refused to tone down, and other studios demanded the main characters, mostly teens in the comic, be made into adults.

The original series, which was drawn by John Romita Jr., follows a nerdy high schooler who attempts to reinvent himself as a costumed superhero named Kick-Ass, but is doomed to failure because he’s not athletic or coordinated, until he runs into real bad guys with real weapons.

The comic is ultraviolent, with kids taking on adults of all stripes, with ninja swords, among other weapons. McLovin would play Red Mist, the angry teen son of a mobster who tries to uncover Kick-Ass’ identity.

Shooting is currently expected to start this fall. Any ideas on who could play Dave Lizewski (Kick-Ass)?