Mark Millar Responds To Jim Carrey's "Change Of Heart" About His Role In KICK-ASS 2

Mark Millar Responds To Jim Carrey's "Change Of Heart" About His Role In KICK-ASS 2

Earlier today, Kick-Ass 2 star Jim Carrey issued some Tweets indicating that the tragic events of "Sandy Hook" had led to him making the decision to distance himself from the movie. Now comic book creator and writer Mark Millar has responded to the actor.

By JoshWilding - Jun 23, 2013 04:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Kick-Ass
Source: Millarworld

As you will already know by now, Jim Carrey has decided to not "support" Kick-Ass 2 due to the "level of violence" in the movie. This presumably means that he won't be helping to promote the movie in any way this summer and was an unexpected move to say the least. The news has led to a very vocal response from CBM's readers so far - you can check them out HERE - with many arguing that Carrey knew what he was signing up for when he read the screenplay, and so it seems odd that an unrelated real life tragedy (many similar incidents sadly also took place before "Sandy Hook") would now prompt him to react this way. Well, creator and writer Mark Millar obviously has something to say about all of this and you can read his statement in full below.


First off, I love Jim Carrey. When producer Matthew Vaughn and director Jeff Wadlow called me up and suggested we do a conference call with him to talk about the sequel to the 2010 original I was genuinely excited. Like you, I love Eternal Sunshine, Man on the Moon and The Truman Show. Carrey is an actor like no other, an unpredictable force of nature who brings a layered warmth and humanity to his work as well as that unstoppable energy he's always been renowned for. He had lunch with Matthew around the time of the first movie and dug it so much he appeared that night on Conan O'Brien DRESSED as Kick-Ass, singing a duet with Conan dressed as Superman. Vaughn and I made a mental note to work with this guy as soon as possible as we're both huge admirers.

Cut to almost three years later and I'm sitting in a screening room in London watching what I think is one of Carrey's best-ever performances. I'd seen Kick-Ass 2 in many forms, but this was the absolute final cut complete with opening titles, music and a terrific post-credit sequence you're all going to love. I couldn't be happier with this picture. It's as good as the original and in many ways BIGGER as it expands upon the universe and really takes things to the next level. There are a lot of stand-outs in the sequel, every actor really firing on full cylinders and an amazing script that moves like a rocket. But Carrey in particular is magnificent. He's never done anything like this before and even from the trailer, with his masked dog sidekick specially trained to munch criminal balls, you can see that something really fun and special is happening here. Colonel Stars and Stripes is so charismatic and all his scenes are up there with Nic Cage's amazing turn as Big Daddy in the original... which made it all the more surprising when Jim announced tonight that the gun-violence in Kick-Ass 2 has made him withdraw his support from the picture.

As you may know, Jim is a passionate advocate of gun-control and I respect both his politics and his opinion, but I'm baffled by this sudden announcement as nothing seen in this picture wasn't in the screenplay eighteen months ago. Yes, the body-count is very high, but a movie called Kick-Ass 2 really has to do what it says on the tin. A sequel to the picture that gave us HIT-GIRL was always going to have some blood on the floor and this should have been no shock to a guy who enjoyed the first movie so much. My books are very hardcore, but the movies are adapted for a more mainstream audience and if you loved the tone of the first picture you're going to eat this up with a big, giant spoon. Like Jim, I'm horrified by real-life violence (even though I'm Scottish), but Kick-Ass 2 isn't a documentary. No actors were harmed in the making of this production! This is fiction and like Tarantino and Peckenpah, Scorcese and Eastwood, John Boorman, Oliver Stone and Chan-Wook Park, Kick-Ass avoids the usual bloodless body-count of most big summer pictures and focuses instead of the CONSEQUENCES of violence, whether it's the ramifications for friends and family or, as we saw in the first movie, Kick-Ass spending six months in hospital after his first street altercation. Ironically, Jim's character in Kick-Ass 2 is a Born-Again Christian and the big deal we made of the fact that he refuses to fire a gun is something he told us attracted him to the role in the first place.

Ultimately, this is his decision, but I've never quite bought the notion that violence in fiction leads to violence in real-life any more than Harry Potter casting a spell creates more Boy Wizards in real-life. Our job as storytellers is to entertain and our toolbox can't be sabotaged by curtailing the use of guns in an action-movie. Imagine a John Wayne picture where he wasn't packing or a Rocky movie where Stallone wasn't punching someone repeatedly in the face. Our audience is smart enough to know they're all pretending and we should instead just sit back and enjoy the serotonin release of seeing bad guys meeting bad ends as much as we enjoyed seeing the Death Star exploding. The action in Kick-Ass 2 is like nothing you've ever seen before. The humour, the characters, the heart and the set-pieces are all things we're very proud of and the only warning I'd really include is that it's almost TOO EXCITING. Kick-Ass 2 is fictional fun so let's focus our ire instead of the real-life violence going on in the world like the war in Afghanistan, the alarming tension in Syria right now and the fact that Superman just snapped a guy's [frick]ing neck.

Jim, I love ya and I hope you reconsider for all the above points. You're amazing in this insanely fun picture and I'm very proud of what Jeff, Matthew and all the team have done here. Love and Peace, Mark Millar @mrmarkmillar







Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010’s irreverent global hit: Kick-Ass 2. After Kick-Ass’ (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)—reborn as The Mother F%&*^r—only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation.

STARRING:

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kick-Ass
Chloë Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl
Christopher Mintz-Plasse as The Mother F*cker
Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars
Donald Faison as Doctor Gravity
Lindy Booth as Night Bitch
Andy Nyman as The Tumor
Robert Emms as Insect Man
John Leguizamo as Javier
Morris Chestnut as Sergeant Marcus Williams

RELEASE DATE: August 16th, 2013
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CaptainObvious
CaptainObvious - 6/23/2013, 5:06 PM
I would also like to point out that the scene in the comic where Red Mist guns down a group of children was never going to make it into the film. It was scrapped along with the rape scene.
jerryblake
jerryblake - 6/23/2013, 5:10 PM
nicely said
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 6/23/2013, 5:16 PM
I don't believe violence in movies or video games leads to violence in real life, but why do so many companies spend millions of dollars in SB commercials in hopes that it influences the consumer? If a 30 second commercial can influence an individual into buying a beer or doritos, then why doesn't a 2 hour movie do the same?
MrCBM56
MrCBM56 - 6/23/2013, 5:25 PM
I'm glad he respected Carry opinion. Can't wait for this movie!!
TheWolverine08
TheWolverine08 - 6/23/2013, 5:27 PM
Millar nailed it!
sticktothetruth
sticktothetruth - 6/23/2013, 5:27 PM
Mark Millar is the one who needs to be sorry.
jerryblake
jerryblake - 6/23/2013, 5:30 PM
@sticktothetruth

not sure i understand ...
ManofSteel23
ManofSteel23 - 6/23/2013, 5:32 PM
If you are a [frick]ing idiot and you make films and games decide what you are going to do next,you need to die,because a lot of bad shit happens in movies and games,and if you aren't smart enough to know its all pretend then you are an idiot
Ambushbug
Ambushbug - 6/23/2013, 5:33 PM
@TheHeat,

Because everyone eats,they are trying to influence what they eat, not everyone kills. In fact most don't. You are taking something that is necessary and normal and comparing it with something that's unnecessary and abnormal. By your logic, if it wasn't for commercials people wouldn't eat.
LittleDanglyThing
LittleDanglyThing - 6/23/2013, 5:34 PM
@theheat advertisement is meant to look good or like something you want.
Do you ever see a violent scene and think "I wish this happened to me!" No you look at it and say "god that would suck!" Human Centipede for example, does any of that at all look intriguing?
LittleDanglyThing
LittleDanglyThing - 6/23/2013, 5:35 PM
@ambushbug exactly.
agentawsume
agentawsume - 6/23/2013, 5:35 PM
all aboard the hate bandwagon, next stop, Jim Carrey
ComicFan1134
ComicFan1134 - 6/23/2013, 5:35 PM
Here We Go Again.....Idiots.
TheGODDAMNEDDaddySmalls
TheGODDAMNEDDaddySmalls - 6/23/2013, 5:36 PM
@superman2013 sounds like you've got quite the case of butthurt here. stating someone needs to die ? yeahow mature of you.
batesmotel
batesmotel - 6/23/2013, 5:37 PM
My disdain for him grew after the Ace Ventura film and now the disdain grew into hatred because of this
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 6/23/2013, 5:38 PM
I have to admit, that was nicely said and very professional.

Not bad Mark.

Still its Jim's opinion and Mark was respectful of it.

The question now is will you members be as respectable to Jim's opinion as Mark was?
Mrsinister
Mrsinister - 6/23/2013, 5:40 PM
@theheat you're an idiot. Those are two completely different things. Get a clue
DaveT
DaveT - 6/23/2013, 5:40 PM
Hmmm. It's tough. Harry Potter actually does lead to lots of boys pretending to be wizards and looking for real life signs of magic. Plenty of people are influenced by action films to a point where they think the best way to stop the next gun massacre is by making sure that good guys have guns so they can whip them out and gun down the evil doer with both hands while diving out of the way of the bad guy's hail of bullets. Yet I love all kinds of stories including violent ones. Comes down to it I guess I value our freedom to create and thus enjoy life so much that I am willing to accept the violence it must to some degree encourage.
Dusk
Dusk - 6/23/2013, 5:41 PM
Yeah, I'm with Jim Carrey on this one. [frick] the U.S. Constitution!!!! Yeah!!!

(ULTIMATE SARCASM)

I just love it when people from other countries feel like they have the right to come here and speak against our RIGHTS.

(MORE SARCASM)

I used to LOVE Jim Carrey. Now? Not so much.
TheGODDAMNEDDaddySmalls
TheGODDAMNEDDaddySmalls - 6/23/2013, 5:44 PM
@Levi of course they wont be respectful, anytime someone speaks out with an opinion on matters like this, they automatically bitch and bitch. Its nothing new, Jim has a view on it, we have a view on it. I respect Jim's view and Im in agreeance with you dude.
0bstreperous
0bstreperous - 6/23/2013, 5:44 PM
Carey left a woman ( jenny McCarty) because her son had autism and he couldn't deal

I doubt hes a bleeding heart


This is about money hes in the nic cage boat of hemmoraging money... probably didn't get a fat check knows he won't be back and is rescinding support as an effort you


Millar is politely saying listen you idiot you've got contractual obligations ... u try a get black balled?

O well 'dumb and dumber to' just got green lit should be bad

Carey u are an idiot
0bstreperous
0bstreperous - 6/23/2013, 5:45 PM
*Frick u
teabag
teabag - 6/23/2013, 5:45 PM
Slider13
Slider13 - 6/23/2013, 5:46 PM
Bravo Mr. Millar. You've done a magnificent job of outlining the issues that Mr. Carrey has sparked and at the same time given the unfortunate events of recent months the respect and reverence they deserve. Jim knows that part of the paycheck he earned also included doing press for the film. Just the same way that you and the producers knew that getting a marquee name like Jim Carrey to appear in your picture should only help your box office receipts given his proven track record and star power. It's a shame he's doing this.
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 6/23/2013, 5:47 PM
@Mrsinister

No, the idiot is the one who believes that their 30 second commercial can influence the consumer into buying either a car, beer, see a movie, etc, etc, but not believe that a violent 2 hour movie won't influence someone into doing something that they saw in a movie. Like I said before, I don't believe violence in movies or video games lead to violence in real life considering that violence has existed prior to a movie or game ever being made.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 6/23/2013, 5:58 PM
Millar's rebuttal is very well written and he makes some great points.

But it just occurred to me that Jim Carrey is is using the blood of those children slain at "Sandy Hook" to elevate his status as a celebrity and to make himself seem relevant in the PC correct crowds.

After realizing that I dont even care about what Carrey says but I'm disgusted that hes using "Sandy Hook" as a platform for his thoughts and as a publicity opportunity.

I wish they would halt the release of KA2 and edit Carrey out. I dont want to see the face of someone so low that they would use "Sandy Hook" as a P.R. stunt.

Carrey is a liar, hypocrite and a vulture for feeding off the deaths of children to get some attention and try to better his public image.

NBAfanaddict
NBAfanaddict - 6/23/2013, 5:58 PM
Seems like a measured response. He pointed out the only thing I had a question about: Why didn't Carrey say something about this before? I have no problem with Carrey's opinion (nobody should have a problem with some's personal opinion) but why did he wait until now.
Ocelot
Ocelot - 6/23/2013, 6:02 PM
@Slider13

Doing what exactly? he's not telling people not to see it, he's not ashamed of being in the film, so what exactly is Carey doing. All he's done is state that he was shocked about the violence levels in the film which gave him thoughts of what happened at Sandy Hook. after seeing a screening of it. He's not calling for a boycott of the film, he's not trashing it or the book, he's not calling for guns in America to be banned or even being politically correct.
Bodwulf
Bodwulf - 6/23/2013, 6:05 PM
When he returns his paycheck. That is when I will believe Carrey is sincere.
PsyGuy
PsyGuy - 6/23/2013, 6:05 PM
there IS something sick about watching pointless violence and enjoying it...

but come on, I don't see anything like that in real life, so that's why I watch movies/tv! It's escapism
CaptainPresley
CaptainPresley - 6/23/2013, 6:06 PM
Well said Mark. Althought we know what you really wanted to say. I'm sure he called his lawyers right before posting this.
Oxbow
Oxbow - 6/23/2013, 6:20 PM
Good for Carrey for living his beliefs, and to Millard for a thoughtful response. I don't agree with him...then again I'm not Scottish. I still think it's a great debate. Hope they don't force him to promote this, especially now that its all gone public
TheRedSkull
TheRedSkull - 6/23/2013, 6:20 PM
I don't think Carrey will retaliate. Millar is being humble and respects him. And I respect Carrey's opinion. The guy is a brilliant actor and he's entitled to his beliefs. Why are we all even debating this?
wearethedreamers21
wearethedreamers21 - 6/23/2013, 6:28 PM
Respect the opinions, wait to see if the film was any good but on a side note why did Mark Millar mention MOS in a statement about aweful reality of occurrences in Syria and Afghanistan :s Plus if this film is horrifically violent, if this film does feature kids dying expect it to Bomb. Look at how well Iron Man 3 did and the Avengers. People are looking for escapism from a CBM not reality.
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