Boy Kills World

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Boy Kills World
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMoritz Mohr
Screenplay by
  • Tyler Burton Smith
  • Arend Remmers
Story by
  • Arend Remmers
  • Moritz Mohr
Based on
Boy Kills World[1]
by
  • Armend Remmers
  • Moritz Mohr
Produced by
  • Sam Raimi
  • Zainab Azizi
  • Roy Lee
  • Wayne Fitzjohn
  • Simon Swart
  • Stuart Manashil
  • Dan Kagan
  • Alex Lebovici
Starring
CinematographyPeter Matjasko
Edited byLucian Barnard
Music byLudvig Forssell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 9, 2023 (2023-09-09) (TIFF)
  • April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26) (United States)
Running time
111 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Germany
  • South Africa
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Boy Kills World is a 2023 action comedy thriller film directed by Moritz Mohr, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers, and a story by Remmers and Mohr. The film stars Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Famke Janssen, Sharlto Copley, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, and Andrew Koji. Its plot revolves around a campaign of vengeance enacted by a martial arts expert, rendered deaf-mute by an attack that killed his entire family, whose thoughts are presented as an inner voice derived from a childhood video game (provided by H. Jon Benjamin).

Boy Kills World premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions on April 26, 2024.

Plot[edit]

Bill Skarsgård stars as a man named Boy, who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the matriarch of a corrupt, post-apocalyptic dynasty, in an attack that left Boy deaf-mute. After being trained in the martial arts by a mysterious shaman (Yayan Ruhian), Boy and a ragtag resistance group embark upon a campaign of vengeance, his thoughts expressed by an inner voice derived from his favorite video game (provided by H. Jon Benjamin), with which he bickers with the ghost of his dead younger sister.[3]

Cast[edit]

  • Bill Skarsgård as Boy, a deaf-mute man seeking revenge against the van der Koys. Mohr the director occasionally questioned his decision to make the character a deaf-mute amidst other challenges but ultimately had no regrets and was grateful for the outcome.[4]
    • Nicolas and Cameron Crovetti as young Boy
    • H. Jon Benjamin as Boy’s "inner voice"
  • Jessica Rothe as June 27, an enforcer working for the van der Koys
  • Michelle Dockery as Melanie van der Koy, Hilda's daughter, Gideon's sister and Glen's wife
  • Brett Gelman as Gideon van der Koy, Hilda's son and Melanie's brother
  • Isaiah Mustafa as Benny, a resistance member
  • Andrew Koji as Basho, a resistance member
  • Famke Janssen as Hilda van der Koy, the matriarch of the van der Koy family
  • Sharlto Copley as Glen van der Koy, Melanie's husband
  • Yayan Ruhian as a shaman
  • Quinn Copeland as Mina, Boy's deceased sister who appears as a ghost

Production[edit]

Director and story writer Moritz Mohr pitched Boy Kills World with a short and previsualization reel to Sam Raimi and Roy Lee, of Raimi Productions and Vertigo Entertainment respectively, who were impressed and subsequently agreed to produce alongside Nthibah Pictures and Hammerstone Studios.[5][6] Orion Pictures was initially involved at one point, but dropped out following the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

The film was announced on October 7, 2021, with Bill Skarsgård, Samara Weaving, and Yayan Ruhian joining the cast. In a statement, Nthibah CEO Simon Swart said the film would combine "real-world themes with a stylized look that is fresh, cool, and original, borrowing from the best of graphic novels."[7] On October 28, 2021, Isaiah Mustafa joined the cast.[8] In January 2022, Andrew Koji was added to the cast,[9] and Jessica Rothe replaced Samara Weaving, who dropped out of project due to scheduling conflicts.[10] Filming began in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 14, 2022.[10][11] In March 2022, Famke Janssen, Brett Gelman, Sharlto Copley, Quinn Copeland, twins Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti, and Michelle Dockery were confirmed to star.[12][13]

In August 2023, Swedish composer Ludvig Forssell was announced to compose the film's soundtrack.[14]

Release[edit]

The world premiere for Boy Kills World was held at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023.[15]

In January 2024, Lionsgate Films and Roadside Attractions acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film and setting it for an April 26, 2024 theatrical release.[16]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

In the United States and Canada, Boy Kills World will be released alongside Unsung Hero and Challengers, and is projected to gross $2–3 million in its opening weekend.[17][18]

Critical Response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 71 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Bolstered by Bill Skarsgård's all-in performance, Boy Kills World may offer just enough action thrills to offset its thinly written characters and predictable plot."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Boy Kills World - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Boy Kills World (18)". BBFC. March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Boy Kills World". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. September 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Jolin, Dan (September 10, 2023). "TIFF spotlight: Moritz Mohr and Zainab Azizi on the long road to Midnight Madness entry 'Boy Kills World'". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Kit, Borys (October 7, 2021). "Bill Skarsgård, Samara Weaving and Yayan Ruhian to Star in Action Thriller Boy Kills World". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (September 8, 2023). "Toronto Hidden Gem: 'Boy Kills World' Faced Battles Onscreen and Off". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Grater, Tom (October 7, 2021). "Bill Skarsgard, Samara Weaving & Yayan Ruhian Starring In Boy Kills World; Sam Raimi & Roy Lee Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Grater, Tom (October 28, 2021). "Isaiah Mustafa Boards Action Pic Boy Kills World". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 10, 2022). "Andrew Koji Joins Bill Skarsgard And Samara Weaving In Boy Kills World". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Kit, Borys (January 11, 2022). "Jessica Rothe Replaces Samara Weaving in Action-Thriller Boy Kills World". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  11. ^ Raimi Productions (February 14, 2022). Let's go !!!. South Africa Cape Town. Retrieved February 15, 2022 – via Instagram.
  12. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 7, 2022). "Famke Janssen, Brett Gelman, Sharlto Copley & More Join Action-Thriller Boy Kills World From Producer Sam Raimi". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 10, 2022). "Michelle Dockery Joins Action-Thriller Boy Kills World". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Eklecty-City (August 16, 2023). "Ludvig Forssell, le compositeur de jeux vidéo, fait ses débuts au cinéma avec Boy Kills World". Eklecty-City (in French). Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  15. ^ Complex, Valerie (August 3, 2023). "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include Hell Of A Summer, Gonzo Girl, Widow Clicquot, And Boy Kills World". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  16. ^ D’Alessandro, Anthony (January 23, 2024). "Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions Acquire TIFF Midnight Madness Movie 'Boy Kills World' Starring Bill Skarsgård, Michelle Dockery". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 23, 2024). "Zendaya-Palooza At Weekend Box Office As Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' Looks To Serve $15M Opening & 'Dune 2' Returns To Imax – Preview". Deadline. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 24, 2024). "Zendaya's Tennis Drama 'Challengers' Aims to Lead Sluggish Box Office With $15 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  19. ^ "Boy Kills World". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 26, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  20. ^ "Boy Kills World". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2024.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boy_Kills_World&oldid=1220969679"