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104-566: Dave Lizewski / Kick-Ass is portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the feature films Kick-Ass (2010) and Kick Ass 2 (2013) and the video games Kick-Ass: The Game (2010) and Kick-Ass 2: The Game (2014). The character will return in School Fight (2024). Dave Lizewski is a simple ordinary New York City high school student. His mother dies of a brain aneurysm and Dave serves as an anchor to reality for his loving, single widowed father. Dave takes an interest in comic books, which give him

208-474: A 2019 interview with GQ Australia , he defined his style as elegant and "timeless." Taylor-Johnson lives with his wife and their four daughters on a farm near Bruton, Somerset , and he is an avid vegetable farmer. Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City . It

312-770: A Supporting Role . In 2017, he played an American soldier (alongside John Cena ) in Doug Liman 's thriller The Wall , and in 2018, he appeared in Outlaw King , a British-American historical action drama about Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 2020, Taylor-Johnson had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan 's film Tenet . In 2022, he appeared in David Leitch 's Bullet Train , an action-thriller film based on

416-441: A contract with Disney, officials from the city and state evicted the pornographic theaters and contracted with Madame Tussauds and AMC Theatres to move onto 42nd Street. This spurred the construction of new office towers, hotels, and tourist attractions in the area. Prudential and Klein dissolved their partnership for the four office-building sites at Times Square's southern end in 1996. The same year, Douglas Durst acquired

520-473: A cultural hub full of theatres, music halls , and upscale hotels. Times Square quickly became New York's agora , a place to gather to await great tidings and to celebrate them, whether a World Series or a presidential election. Advertising also grew significantly in the 1920s, growing from $ 25 million to $ 85 million over the decade. For example, the Wrigley Spearmint Gum sign, possibly

624-472: A gun through a pure fluke, giving Hit-Girl an open opportunity to kill John Genovese with a cleaver. After the loss of Mindy's father, Dave drops her off at her mother's house. Dave returns home to find his father having sex with his teacher (whose boyfriend Hit-Girl had killed) on the couch. Hit-Girl subsequently takes on Kick-Ass as her crime-fighting partner, training him and using him to hunt criminals together with her. She also gets him to teach her how to be

728-549: A hero, which leads Dave to storm out of the house. The massacre leads the police (led by Detective Vic Gigante, who secretly works for the Motherfucker as a mob informant) to scapegoat the super-heroes for the deaths. All known heroes are rounded up and put into police custody, including the members of Justice Forever. Kick-Ass avoids arrest due to his father, who discovers his son's super-hero alter ego, much to his horror. Despite his disapproval, Kick-Ass's father turns himself in to

832-422: A little while until he becomes aware of another hero, who calls himself Red Mist, who has become a sensation, even stealing all the credit for being the first-ever superhero. Kick-Ass subsequently leaves retirement, initially to challenge Red Mist, but instead, they team up. As they drive off they come across a burning building. Kick-Ass overhears a woman saying that her "baby" is still inside. Kick-Ass bravely enters

936-509: A low entertainment district. The first theater on the square, the Olympia , was built by cigar manufacturer and impresario Oscar Hammerstein I . According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 , "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons." In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved

1040-447: A mass yoga event involving up to 15,000 people. Tim Tompkins, a co-founder of the event, said part of its appeal was "finding stillness and calm amid the city rush on the longest day of the year". Architect Mark Foster Gage proposed and designed the original Times Square Valentine's Day heart in 2009. Since then, designing the heart has become an annual competition. In February 2011, Times Square became smoke-free as New York extended

1144-507: A massive crowd celebrated Victory in Europe Day in Times Square; and on August 15, 1945, the largest crowd in the history of Times Square gathered to celebrate Victory over Japan Day , reaching an estimated two million. The victory itself was announced by a headline on the "zipper" news ticker at One Times Square , which read "OFFICIAL ***TRUMAN ANNOUNCES JAPANESE SURRENDER ***". From

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1248-518: A member of a London gang of street hooligans. That year, he also guest starred in a special live episode of ITV drama The Bill . In 2006, he appeared in The Illusionist , appearing in the early flashback scenes as Edward Norton 's character, Eduard Abramovicz, as a teenager. The scenes show the young Eduard as he first learns magic. To do this, Johnson had to learn how to perform the ball trick that his character performs. He learned how to balance

1352-562: A menacing Texan, in Tom Ford 's thriller Nocturnal Animals . For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture . Taylor-Johnson also became first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor winner since Richard Benjamin who did not receive an Academy Award nomination. For the role, he also received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in

1456-639: A million visitors to Times Square every year, in addition to a worldwide audience of one billion or more on various digital media platforms. Times Square, specifically the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, is the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway , the first road across the United States for motorized vehicles. Times Square is sometimes referred to as "the Crossroads of the World" and "the heart of

1560-495: A minimum limit for lighting instead of the standard maximum limit. The density of illuminated signs in Times Square rivals that in Las Vegas . Officially, signs in Times Square are called "spectaculars", and the largest of them are called " jumbotrons ". This signage ordinance was implemented in accordance with guidelines set in a revitalization program that New York Governor Mario Cuomo implemented in 1993. Notable signage includes

1664-507: A normal kid, and get along with other girls somewhat older than herself. Dave returns to training and fighting crime in New York City and is now being trained by Hit-Girl. Kick-Ass joins a new superhero team calling themselves Justice Forever, which includes his friends Marty and Todd, and his new crime-fighting ally, "Doctor Gravity". Led by the repentant born-again Christian "Colonel Stars",

1768-419: A pole atop the building, marking the start of the new year. It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906 but stopped by city officials because of the danger of fire. Beginning in 1908, and for more than eighty years thereafter, Times Square sign maker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. During World War II, a minute of silence, followed by

1872-539: A recording of church bells pealing, replaced the ball drop because of wartime blackout restrictions. Today, Countdown Entertainment and One Times Square handle the New Year's Eve event in conjunction with the Times Square Alliance. A new energy-efficient LED ball debuted for the arrival of 2008, which was the centennial of the Times Square ball drop. The 2008–09 ball is larger and has become a permanent installation as

1976-458: A reputation as a dangerous and seedy neighborhood in the following decades. Nevertheless, Times Square continued to be the site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve . The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve in 1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions during World War II , replaced by a moment of silence that was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of chimes played from sound trucks. On May 8, 1945,

2080-422: A rooftop fight, Motherfucker falls to the ground, mortally wounded. Reluctantly, Kick-Ass summons help but gets accused of attempting to kill his rival. Dave graduates from high school and continues his life as a superhero in his battle against organized crime. As he plans to break Mindy out of prison, he asks Justice Forever for assistance, but they refuse to help. After a fight with a gang of criminals, Dave meets

2184-471: A sister named Edwina. The Dave Lizewski incarnation of Kick-Ass appears in the 2010 film adaptation Kick-Ass , and the 2013 sequel Kick-Ass 2 . Aaron Johnson , who plays the character, says that Kick-Ass is a "sensitive guy" who lost his mother and is a "nobody" at school, so he creates his superhero identity "as this whole different persona". Johnson said that Dave is "a kid who's got the guts to go out there and do something different." In preparation for

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2288-552: A sister named Gemma, who later had a small role in his film Tom & Thomas (2002). Johnson is Jewish . He went to Holmer Green Senior School and attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, studying drama, tap, jazz, acrobatics, and singing. He left school at 15. Johnson began acting at the age of six. On stage, he appeared in a London production of William Shakespeare 's Macbeth , playing

2392-450: A source of controversy in the summer of 2015 because of a large number of complaints about the topless women and panhandling characters. Although neither of these activities are illegal, opponents believed that the panhandlers' presence was detrimental to the quality of life in the area. There were calls from Police Commissioner Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio to remove the plaza, although Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer opposed

2496-587: A tiny hamlet, Great Kill, that became a center for carriage-making, as the upland to the south and east became known as Longacre. Before and after the American Revolution , the area belonged to John Morin Scott , a general of the New York militia , in which he served under George Washington . Scott's manor house was at what is currently 43rd Street, surrounded by countryside used for farming and breeding horses. In

2600-478: A trial until at least the end of the year. The same was done in Herald Square from 33rd to 35th Street. The results were to be closely monitored to determine if the project was successful and should be extended. Bloomberg also stated that he believed the street shutdown would make New York more livable by reducing pollution, cutting down on pedestrian-vehicle accidents, and helping traffic flow more smoothly through

2704-614: A woman named Valerie and starts dating her. At a party to celebrate Chris' release, Kick-Ass arranges to get the members of Justice Forever to help him raid the party and send a warning to the mob. The plan fails when Kick-Ass' friends flee in the face of mob retaliation. Elsewhere, Mindy confides to her psychiatrist that she has circumvented the prison's security so as to allow her to wander around and kill problematic inmates at night. Furthermore, she talks about how her father created his false backstory in order to manipulate her into continuing her career as Hit-Girl. Mindy also meets her mother, who

2808-464: A year-round attraction, being used for celebrations on days such as Valentine's Day and Halloween . The New Year's Eve celebrations are usually overseen by thousands of police officers. Aluminum barriers are erected to accommodate spectators; for the 2020 celebration, attended by a million people, barriers were erected from 38th to 59th Street and from Sixth to Eighth Avenue. Typically, the celebrations create large amounts of waste. The waste includes

2912-499: Is also a skilled tactician. At the start of the first comic series, Dave’s mother, Alice Lizewski, died of a brain aneurysm when Dave was 14. Dave lives with his father, James Lizewski , after his mother died. Dave and his father had a very strong, close relationship. He is fully aware of his secret in Kick-Ass 2 . He is beaten to death and hanged by Chris Genovese (aka The Motherfucker, formerly Red Mist) while in prison after he tells

3016-618: Is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the title character in Kick-Ass (2010) and its 2013 sequel , as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). As a child actor, he performed in films including Shanghai Knights (2003), The Illusionist (2006), and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). He had his breakthrough performance as John Lennon in

3120-494: Is bounded by West 42nd Street , West 47th Street , 7th Avenue, and Broadway. Broadway runs diagonally, crossing through the horizontal and vertical street grid of Manhattan laid down by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , and that intersection creates the "bowtie" shape of Times Square. Times Square is the official name of the southern triangle, below 45th Street. The northern triangle is officially known as Duffy Square and

3224-411: Is briefly overpowered by the thugs holding Todd, but ends up electrocuting them all. Dave decides to abandon his superhero identity, instead joining the police and remaining with Valerie. Marcus is cleared of all charges thanks to Gigante's testimony and has rooted out the remaining corrupt elements from the force. Dave never sees Mindy again, though he does hear of her further exploits across the world and

Kick-Ass (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3328-866: Is famed for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association , headed by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher , chose the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway (at the southeast corner of Times Square) to be the Eastern Terminus of the Lincoln Highway . This was the first road across the United States, which originally ran 3,389 mi (5,454 km) coast to coast through 13 states to its western terminus in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Times Square grew dramatically after World War I . It became

3432-405: Is formed by the junction of Broadway , Seventh Avenue , and 42nd Street . Together with adjacent Duffy Square , Times Square is a bowtie -shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets . Times Square is brightly lit by numerous digital billboards and advertisements as well as businesses offering 24/7 service . One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of

3536-490: Is proud of her actions as Hit-Girl. Gigante and three disguised cops rob Rocco, intending to make a fortune and leave New York. In response, Rocco orders the killing of everyone found in a mask, resulting in the deaths of four Justice Forever members and the kidnapping of Dave's roommate Todd. Later Kick-Ass rescues Mindy from a cop working for Rocco, brutally killing him. Dave goes to rescue Todd in Big Daddy's monster truck. Dave

3640-404: Is recruited by Mindy as a successor to the mantle of Kick-Ass to continue Dave's legacy. On Paul's request, Mindy later allows him a sabbatical from the mantle to spend more time with his mother while she travels the world on her endless war against crime. Patience Lee is an Afghanistan war veteran who returns to find her husband has left her and run up large debts. She decides to steal cash from

3744-432: Is released weeks later, with metal plates all over his body and with his nerve endings having delayed reactions to pain, making him almost immune to conventional beatings. In spite of considering giving up crime-fighting, he soon returns to the streets. Kick-Ass rescues a man from a beating and fights off the thugs. An onlooker records the incident and uploads it on YouTube , turning Lizewski into an overnight sensation, given

3848-467: Is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop. About one million revelers crowd Times Square for the New Year's Eve celebrations, more than twice the usual number of visitors the area usually receives daily. However, for the millennium celebration on December 31, 1999, published reports stated approximately two million people overflowed Times Square, flowing from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue and back on Broadway and Seventh Avenue to 59th Street, making it

3952-563: The Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry . Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days. The Times Square–42nd Street and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal stations have consistently ranked as

4056-796: The Disney theme parks worldwide, with 128,794,000 visitors between March 2012 and February 2013, versus 126,479,000 for the Walt Disney World theme parks in Bay Lake, Florida , in 2012. Even excluding residents from the visitor count, Times Square is the world's second most visited tourist attraction, behind the Las Vegas Strip . The high level of pedestrian traffic has resulted in $ 4.8 billion in annual retail, entertainment, and hotel sales, with 22 cents out of every dollar spent by visitors in New York City being spent within Times Square. Times Square

4160-538: The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . He has since appeared in the action films Tenet (2020), Bullet Train (2022) and The Fall Guy (2024). Aaron Perry Johnson was born in High Wycombe on 13 June 1990. His father, Robert, was a civil engineer and his mother, Sarah, "stayed at home [and] worked odd jobs here and there so [they] could get by." He has

4264-609: The London Film Critics' Circle . In 2010, Johnson appeared as David "Dave" Lizewski/Kick-Ass , the lead character in Kick-Ass , based on the superhero comic book of the same name by Scottish writer Mark Millar . His performance in Kick-Ass saw him nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award . He has also appeared as the central character, William, in Hideo Nakata 's Chatroom . In December 2010, Johnson joined

Kick-Ass (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-694: The Macklowe Hotel , Marriott Marquis , Crowne Plaza , and DoubleTree Suites. By 1986, New York City Planning Commission (CPC) was considering enacting regulations that would have forced new buildings along Times Square to include bright signage as well as deep setbacks . The CPC adopted a planning regulation in 1987, which required large new developments in Times Square to set aside about 5 percent of their space for "entertainment uses". The regulation also required new buildings on Times Square to include large, bright signs. The buildings at 1540 Broadway, 1585 Broadway, and 750 Seventh Avenue were completed at

4472-515: The State of New York took possession of six of the nine historic theaters on 42nd Street, and the New 42nd Street non-profit organization was appointed to oversee their restoration and maintenance. The theaters underwent renovation for Broadway shows, conversion for commercial purposes, or demolition. Opposition to the towers on Times Square, along with Prudential and Park Tower's inability to secure tenants for

4576-664: The Toshiba billboard directly under the NYE ball drop, the curved seven-story NASDAQ sign at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square on 43rd Street, and the curved Coca-Cola sign located underneath another large LED display owned and operated by Samsung . Both the Coca-Cola sign and Samsung LED displays were built by LED display manufacturer Daktronics . Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered by wind and solar energy

4680-659: The Vince Lombardi Trophy . The area was under increased security and witnessed over 400,000 people during the period. In October 2022, casino operator Caesars Entertainment and commercial property developer SL Green submitted a joint proposal to open a casino at 1515 Broadway , along Times Square. The New York state government has yet to act on the proposal. On February 26, 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street would be de-mapped starting Memorial Day 2009 and transformed into pedestrian plazas as

4784-543: The remodeling claim that the neighborhood is safer and cleaner. Detractors have countered that the changes have homogenized or "Disneyfied" the character of Times Square and have unfairly targeted lower-income New Yorkers from nearby neighborhoods such as Hell's Kitchen . The changes were shaped in large part by the actions of The Walt Disney Company , which bought and restored the New Amsterdam Theatre after several attempts at redevelopment had failed. As part of

4888-507: The "Kick-Ass" name. After his first unsuccessful attempt at being a superhero ends in being beaten, mugged and hit by a moving car, Dave has several metal plates and braces surgically implanted within his body during the course of his hospitalization and recovery. This, along with the nerve damage he suffers during the event, provides him with the ability to be almost immune to pain, giving him an edge while fighting. His only weapons are his twin batons that are wrapped in green electrical tape. In

4992-646: The 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. However, it was also during this period that the area began to be besieged by crime and corruption, in the form of gambling and prostitution; one case that garnered huge attention was the arrest and subsequent execution of police officer Charles Becker . The general atmosphere of Times Square changed with the onset of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. City residents moved uptown to cheaper neighborhoods, and many popular theaters closed, replaced by saloons, brothels, "burlesque halls, vaudeville stages, and dime houses". The area acquired

5096-518: The 1960s to the early 1990s, the seediness of the area, especially due to its go-go bars , sex shops , peep shows , and adult theaters, became an infamous symbol of the city's decline. As early as 1960, 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was described by The New York Times as "the 'worst' [block] in town". Later that decade, Times Square was depicted in Midnight Cowboy as gritty, depraved, and desperate. Conditions only worsened in

5200-675: The 1970s and 1980s, as did the crime in the rest of the city, with a 1981 article in Rolling Stone magazine calling 42nd Street in Times Square the "sleaziest block in America". In the mid-1980s, the area bounded by 40th and 50th Streets and Seventh and Ninth Avenues saw over 15,000 crime complaints per year. The block of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues had 2,300 crimes per year in 1984, of which 20% were felonies. In this era, formerly elegant movie theaters began to show x-rated films , and peep shows hustlers were common. In 1984,

5304-509: The 2001–02 New Year's celebration. Approximately 500,000 revelers attended. Security was high following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with more than 7,000 New York City police officers on duty in the Square, twice the number for an ordinary year. Times Square started hosting other major annual events in the 2000s. Since 2002, the summer solstice has been marked by "Mind over Madness",

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5408-495: The 3,000 pounds of biodegradable confetti dropped at midnight, a tradition of which started in 1992. The New York City Department of Sanitation estimated that by 8 a.m. on New Year's Day 2014, it had cleared over 50 short tons (45 long tons; 45 t) of trash from the New Year's celebration, using 190 workers from their crews and the Times Square Alliance. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City during 2020 reduced

5512-485: The Great White Way ". Times Square functions as a town square , but is not geometrically a square . It is closer in shape to a bowtie, with two triangles emanating roughly north and south from 45th Street, where Seventh Avenue intersects Broadway . Broadway similarly intersects other north–south avenues at Union Square , Madison Square , Herald Square , and Verdi Square , none of which are squares. The area

5616-542: The Midtown street grid. The pedestrian plaza project was originally opposed by local businesses, who thought that closing the street to cars would hurt business. The original seats put out for pedestrians were inexpensive multicolored plastic lawn chairs, a source of amusement to many New Yorkers; they lasted from the onset of the plaza transformation until August 14, 2009, when they were ceremoniously bundled together in an installation christened Now You See It, Now You Don't by

5720-521: The New York state government, had proposed redeveloping the area around a portion of West 42nd Street in 1981. Four towers designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee were to be built around 42nd Street's intersections with Broadway and Seventh Avenue. These towers would have been redeveloped by George Klein of Park Tower Realty, though the Prudential Insurance Company of America joined

5824-665: The Patience Lee incarnation of the character in a prospective third Kick-Ass film, Thompson stating that she was "highly interested" in the role. The Dave Lizewski incarnation of Kick-Ass appears as a playable character in Kick-Ass: The Game and Kick-Ass 2: The Game , each respectively based on the two films. In 2010, Mezco released Kick-Ass figures based on the first film and followed-up with new figures released in 2013 by Neca . Aaron Taylor-Johnson Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson ; born 13 June 1990)

5928-476: The area was so derelict and dilapidated, that the entire Times Square area paid the city only $ 6 million in property taxes (equivalent to $ 17.6 million in 2023). In the 1980s, a commercial building boom began in the western parts of Midtown as part of a long-term development plan developed under mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins . These included office buildings such as 1540 Broadway , 1585 Broadway , and 750 Seventh Avenue , as well as hotels such as

6032-426: The artist Jason Peters, and shortly afterward were replaced by sturdier metal furniture. Although the plaza had mixed results on traffic in the area, injuries to motorists and pedestrians decreased, fewer pedestrians were walking in the road, and the number of pedestrians in Times Square increased. On February 11, 2010, Bloomberg announced that the pedestrian plazas would become permanent. The city started rebuilding

6136-460: The authorities to save his son from arrest. Shortly after, he is attacked by mob henchmen of the Motherfucker, who kill him as part of the villain's campaign to torment his rival. The Motherfucker then attacks the funeral, detonating a bomb in Kick-Ass's father's coffin and has gunmen open fire upon the crowd of mourners, including Hit-Girl and her family. In response, Hit-Girl springs into action to kill

6240-417: The beginning of the early 1990s recession , when 14.5 percent of Manhattan office space was vacant. Furthermore, some 9 × 10 ^  sq ft (840,000 m ) of office space in the western section of Midtown had been developed in the 1980s, of which only half had been leased. Consequently, 1540 Broadway was completely empty, while 1585 Broadway and 750 Seventh Avenue had one tenant each, despite

6344-492: The biggest electric sign "in the world," cost $ 9,000 per month to rent. Some contemporary critics, such as Thorstein Veblen and G. K. Chesterton , disliked the advertising at Times Square. Fritz Lang , after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis . Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin , Charlie Chaplin , and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in

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6448-408: The biopic Nowhere Boy (2009), directed by Sam Taylor-Wood , whom he married in 2012 and adopted the same surname (Taylor-Johnson) with. He followed this with roles in the crime thriller Savages (2012), period drama Anna Karenina (2012), and monster film Godzilla (2014). For his performance as a psychopathic drifter in the thriller film Nocturnal Animals (2016), Taylor-Johnson won

6552-491: The building with Red-Mist to rescue the baby, only to find out it is a cat called "Baby"; they rescue it and return it to its owner. Red Mist, however, turns out to be the son of mob boss John Genovese which leads to Big Daddy's death and the torture of Kick-Ass at the hands of various gangsters. Before long, Kick-Ass is rescued by Hit-Girl and the two get their revenge on John Genovese, together bringing down his entire organization. Kick-Ass shoots John Genovese's genitals off with

6656-429: The buildings having over 2 × 10 ^  sq ft (190,000 m ) of office space between them. Entertainment conglomerate Bertelsmann bought 1540 Broadway in 1992, spurring a revival of Times Square in the early 1990s. This was hastened when financial firm Morgan Stanley bought 1585 Broadway in 1993, followed by 750 Seventh Avenue in 1994. The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), an agency of

6760-473: The busiest in the New York City Subway system, transporting more than 200,000 passengers daily. Formerly known as Longacre Square , Times Square was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then newly erected Times Building, now One Times Square . It is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop , which began on December 31, 1907, and continues to attract over

6864-591: The cast of Albert Nobbs as a replacement for Orlando Bloom . Johnson starred in R.E.M. 's 2011 music video " Überlin ", which was also directed by his then-fiancée. In 2012, Taylor-Johnson played Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina . Later that year, he starred as Ben in Oliver Stone 's Savages . HitFix film critic Drew McWeeny was positive of the bond between Johnson and co-star Taylor Kitsch , which "seems not only credible but lived in and authentic throughout

6968-502: The egg on the stick, although that was mechanically effected. Also in 2006, he starred in the film The Thief Lord as Prosper. Johnson appeared as John Lennon in the 2009 biographical film Nowhere Boy , directed by Sam Taylor-Wood , whom he later married. His performance won him the Empire Award for Best Newcomer , and he was also nominated for Young British Performer of the Year by

7072-570: The emergence of genuine superhumans. Ten years later, Dave comes out of retirement after being granted real superpowers by the Magic Order to take on the joint forces of a time-travelling alien armada from the past and Wesley Gibson's Fraternity of Super-Criminals, before joining the superhero team The Ambassadors as "Codename: America". Paul McQue is a simple ordinary Pittsburgh middle school student. Bullied at school for his father have left Paul and his mother for his boyfriend, often beaten up, Paul

7176-500: The existing buildings. In 1992, the Times Square Alliance (formerly the Times Square Business Improvement District , or "BID" for short), a coalition of city government and local businesses dedicated to improving the quality of commerce and cleanliness in the district, started operations in the area. In 1998, the alliance opened a tourist information center in the former Embassy Theatre at 1560 Broadway;

7280-766: The film," and noted the evolution in maturity of Johnson since Kick-Ass . Taylor-Johnson starred in the Godzilla reboot, released in May 2014. Taylor-Johnson played Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), the sequel to 2012's The Avengers , as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Taylor-Johnson first appeared as the character in a post-credits scene of the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). The role reunited him with Elizabeth Olsen , who played his wife in Godzilla . In 2016, he played Ray,

7384-483: The first half of the 19th century, it became one of the prized possessions of John Jacob Astor , who made a second fortune selling off lots to hotels and other real estate concerns as the city rapidly spread uptown . By 1872, the area had become the center of New York's horse carriage industry. The locality had not previously been given a name, and city authorities called it Longacre Square after Long Acre in London, where

7488-438: The group launches a campaign against the local crime families of the city. He now works frequently on gang-busting with his new-found team, as well as his long-time friend Marty as "Battle Guy", sharing inside crime-fighting jokes with him during his school life. He and the team break into a bar and apprehend a gang. Dave goes home to see that his dad has found his Kick-Ass costume and isn't happy about it. They argue about him being

7592-545: The henchmen who kidnap Kick-Ass in the confusion. Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl team up as they raid the Motherfucker's lair and find out that the villain plans a second massacre in Times Square . Blowing up every single comic shop in New York (along with Kick-Ass's apartment), the Motherfucker seeks to create a distraction to ensure the police will not be around to keep the Motherfucker and his group from slaughtering every person in Times Square. Using social media, Kick-Ass alerts all of

7696-423: The heroes still free to meet with him in Times Square to fight the Motherfucker's minions. The Motherfucker starts his killing spree, only to be stopped by the army of heroes backing up Kick-Ass. As the police arrive on scene unable to tell the heroes from members of the Motherfucker's group, they proceed to arrest all the remaining masked combatants, allowing Motherfucker to escape. Kick-Ass chases after him and after

7800-667: The horse and carriage trade was centered in that city. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and ran the American Horse Exchange there. In 1910, it became the Winter Garden Theatre. As more profitable commerce and industrialization of Lower Manhattan pushed homes, theaters, and prostitution northward from the Tenderloin District , Longacre Square became nicknamed the Thieves Lair for its rollicking reputation as

7904-433: The idea to become a real-life superhero. He purchases a suit and mask, which he wears under his normal clothing, and he begins his own personal training before attempting to fight crime. His first attempt fails, with disastrous results as Dave is hospitalized following being stabbed and being hit by a car. Dave lies to his father, claiming he was mugged. He undergoes intense physical rehabilitation, including four operations. He

8008-691: The information center operated until 2014. In the mid-1990s, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led an effort to clean up the area, an effort that is described by Steve Macek in Urban Nightmares: The Media, the Right, and the Moral Panic Over the City : Security was increased, pornographic theatres were closed, and "undesirable" low-rent residents were pressured to relocate, and then more tourist-friendly attractions and upscale establishments were opened. Advocates of

8112-461: The largest gathering in Times Square since August 1945 during celebrations marking the end of World War II . On December 31, 1907, a ball signifying New Year's Day was first dropped at Times Square, and the Square has held the main New Year's celebration in New York City ever since. On that night, hundreds of thousands of people congregate to watch the Waterford Crystal ball being lowered on

8216-457: The name Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass becomes an inspiration for hundreds of people, most of whom are content to simply make web pages and costumes, but some of whom actually go out and effectively fight crime. Kick-Ass encounters two other crime-fighting heroes who call themselves Hit-Girl and Big Daddy, whose level of professionalism intimidates Kick-Ass and also serves to remind him just how serious crime-fighting can be. He retires from crime-fighting for

8320-478: The newspaper's operations to a new skyscraper on 42nd Street at Longacre Square, on the site of the former Pabst Hotel , which had existed on the site for less than a decade since it opened in November 1899. Ochs persuaded Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. to construct a subway station there, and the area was renamed "Times Square" on April 8, 1904. Just three weeks later, the first electrified advertisement appeared on

8424-653: The novel Mariabītoru by Kōtarō Isaka . He reunited with Leitch in the 2024 action film The Fall Guy , Taylor-Johnson will next play another Marvel character in Kraven the Hunter , set to be released in 2024 as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe . He will also star in Robert Eggers ' horror film Nosferatu , and in 28 Years Later , a sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later which will be directed by Danny Boyle . After Johnson met filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood in 2009 on

8528-450: The number of people traveling to Times Square. About 108,000 pedestrians visited Times Square each day in late 2020 compared to the 380,000 before the pandemic. From March to October 2020, 26 of the area's 46 hotels closed, as well as 39 of 151 stores and 84 of 162 restaurants. Times Square was closed to the public for New Year's Day 2021 and observers were dispersed into enclosures measuring 8 by 8 ft (2.4 by 2.4 m). Times Square

8632-415: The outdoors smoking ban to the area. The measure imposed a $ 50 fine for any person caught smoking within the area. From January 29 to February 1, 2014, a "Super Bowl Boulevard" was held on Broadway, especially in Times Square, between 34th and 47th Streets, as part of Super Bowl XLVIII . The boulevard contained activities such as autographs, a 60 ft (18 m)-high toboggan run , and photographs with

8736-411: The people ruining the neighborhood, pay off her debts and give half away. She dons the Kick-Ass costume and allows herself to be caught. Once inside she uses her combat skills to take down the gangsters, and forces the boss at gunpoint to hand over all the money; after said boss sends gangsters after Patience's family, she kills them and the boss before taking over his operations as a new crime boss under

8840-491: The plaza in 2010, hiring the design and landscaping firm Snøhetta to permanently replace Broadway's roadway with custom-made granite pavers and benches. By December 2013, the first phase of the Times Square pedestrian plaza had been completed at the southern end of the square in time for the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The project was originally intended to be completed by the end of 2015. The entire project

8944-428: The police that he is Kick-Ass. At the end of The Davie Lizewski Years , Paul is established as a middle school student whose father had recently left him and his mother alone, with the 12-year-old being bullied as a result, in particular for Paul's father having begun dating a man. In Hit-Girl , when Mindy goes abroad to follow a revenge request, Paul offers for his mother to drive her where she wants to go. Patience

9048-460: The project in 1986. Furthermore, as part of the West Midtown special zoning district created in 1982, the New York City government had allowed new buildings in Times Square to be developed with an increased floor area ratio. To ensure the area would not be darkened at nightfall, the city passed zoning regulations that encouraged developers to add large, bright signs on their buildings. In 1990,

9152-489: The proposal. In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform. There have been several incidents in Times Square: Times Square is the most visited place globally with 360,000 pedestrian visitors a day, amounting to over 131 million a year. As of 2013 , it had a greater attendance than each of

9256-551: The proposed buildings, led government officials to allow Prudential and Park Tower to postpone the project in 1992. By then, Prudential had spent $ 300 million on condemning the sites through eminent domain . The partners retained the right to develop the sites in the future, and the ESDC's zoning guidelines remained in effect. In exchange for being permitted to delay construction of the sites until 2002, Prudential and Park Tower were compelled to add stores and install large signage on

9360-449: The right to acquire the sites at the southwest and southeast corners of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue for $ 330 million. 5 Times Square was completed on the southwest-corner site in 2002, and Times Square Tower opened on the southeast-corner site in 2004. Times Square now boasts attractions such as ABC 's Times Square Studios , where Good Morning America is broadcast live; competing Hershey's and M&M's stores across

9464-516: The role, Johnson received fitness and stunt training, and did a couple of weeks of fight choreography. He also requires a dialect coach for the American accent to suit the character. The character will return in School Fight (2024) and its sequels Vram (2025) and Kick-Ass (2026), alongside the Paul McQue incarnation of Kick-Ass. In 2018, Mark Millar said that he'd like to see Tessa Thompson portray

9568-418: The safety of the area. The theatres of Broadway and the huge number of animated neon and LED signs have been one of New York's iconic images as well as a symbol of the intensely urban aspects of Manhattan. Since 1987 such signage has been mandated by zoning ordinances that require building owners to display illuminated signs, the only district in New York City with this requirement. The neighborhood has

9672-413: The set of their film Nowhere Boy , when he was 18 and she was 42, the two began dating and were married in the chapel at Babington House on 21 June 2012. They subsequently changed both their surnames to Taylor-Johnson. They have two daughters, and he is a stepfather to her two daughters from a previous marriage. Taylor-Johnson was named one of GQ ' s 50 best dressed British men in 2015. In

9776-566: The side of a bank at the corner of 46th Street and Broadway. The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre , constructed in 1911. The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961. The old Times Building was later named the Allied Chemical Building in 1963. Now known simply as One Times Square , it

9880-460: The site at the northeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, and he developed 4 Times Square there. The northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street was taken by Reuters , which enlisted Rudin Management as its development partner and built 3 Times Square on that corner; that building opened in 2001. In 1998, a joint venture of Klein, The Blackstone Group , and Boston Properties won

9984-482: The sixth issue of Kick-Ass 2 , he upgraded his twin batons by adding barbed wire around them. In the film version of Kick-Ass , he becomes adept at handling firearms. Due to not having fighting experiences in his life, he receives hand-to-hand combat training from Hit-Girl. In Big Game , he is instilled with one of the Ambassadors' super-suits by Cordelia Moonstone, granting him peak human strength and limited flight via

10088-712: The son of Macduff alongside Rufus Sewell , who played Macbeth , in 1999. He appeared in Arthur Miller 's All My Sons in 2000. His television roles have included Niker in the 2004 BBC adaptation of the novel Feather Boy , Aaron in Danny Brocklehurst 's ITV1 serial Talk to Me , and Owen Stephens in Nearly Famous . In 2003, Johnson appeared as a young Charlie Chaplin in Shanghai Knights alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson , with Chaplin depicted as

10192-500: The street from each other, and multiple multiplex movie theaters. Additionally, the area contains restaurants such as the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company , a seafood establishment; Planet Hollywood Restaurant and Bar , a theme restaurant ; and Carmine's, serving Italian cuisine . It has also attracted several large financial, publishing, and media firms to set up headquarters in the area. A larger presence of police has improved

10296-408: The suit. On being recruited by Hit-Girl, Paul receives hand-to-hand combat training from her, learning to avoid attacks by her "tossing tennis balls" at him. Patience Lee is a former member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) , nicknamed The Night Stalkers. She is a highly trained soldier and proficient in hand-to-hand combat as well as with melee weapons & firearms. She

10400-582: Was dedicated in June 1939 to honor World War I chaplain Father Francis P. Duffy of the 69th New York Infantry Regiment . A statue by Charles Keck was dedicated in May 1937 as a memorial to Duffy. There is also a statue of composer and entertainer George M. Cohan , and the TKTS discount ticket booth for same-day Broadway and off-Broadway theaters that has been at the site since June 1973. When Manhattan Island

10504-501: Was finally completed just before New Year's Eve 2016. Some safety bollards were also installed as part of the renovation to prevent vehicular attacks or collisions on the sidewalk. After a 2017 vehicle-ramming attack , there were calls to install more bollards along Times Square. Times Square's pedestrian plaza is frequented by topless women (with painted breasts) called " desnudas ", as well as costumed characters , who typically panhandle for tips. The pedestrian plaza became

10608-533: Was first lit on December 4, 2008. The new 20 Times Square development hosts the largest LED signage in Times Square at 18,000 square feet. The display is 1,000 square feet larger than the Times Square Walgreens display and one of the largest video-capable screens in the world. In 2002, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani administered the oath of office to the city's next mayor, Michael Bloomberg , at Times Square after midnight on January 1 as part of

10712-562: Was first settled by the Dutch colonists , three small streams united near what is now the intersection of 10th Avenue and 40th Street . These three streams formed the "Great Kill" (Dutch: Grote Kil ). From there the Great Kill wound through the low-lying Reed Valley, known for fish and waterfowl, and emptied into a deep bay in the Hudson River at the present 42nd Street. The name was retained in

10816-460: Was originally married to Frankie Lee. They divorce as he abandons her once she returns from her Army tour in Afghanistan, leaving her a single mother to their son Jordan "Jordy", and daughter Grace. When Patience takes over the criminal empire of one of the gangsters she defeated, she starts being blackmailed by her ex-brother-in-law, Maurice. The names of her parents are never given, but she does have

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