Nick Braun cast in Kevin Smith's 'Hit Somebody'

Posted Monday, November 29, 2010 at 2:46 PM Central
Last updated Monday, November 29, 2010 at 2:54 PM Central

by John Couture

Short of becoming an unofficial Kevin Smith news site, we have reported on a number of stories about the writer/director recently, and why not? It seems that Kevin is breaking down the barriers of the filmmaking industry and embracing his fans unlike anyone else in his profession.

Today, Kev followed up on his podcast casting announcement of John Goodman in Red State by announcing the lead in his next project, Hit Somebody. Via his weekly show Hollywood Babble-On, Kev confirmed that Nick Braun will be playing the lead Buddy McCracken in Hit Somebody.

Braun cut his teeth on a few Disney projects before being cast in Smith's Red State earlier this year. Apparently, Nick made a lasting impression on Smith and landed the coveted role. Kevin also confirmed that Hollywood Babble-On co-host Ralph Garman will also have a role in Hit Somebody.

Hit Somebody is based on the Warren Zevon song by the same name and Smith is working with award-winning writer and journalist Mitch Albom on the project. The film follows Buddy, a minor league hockey player who is known more for his fists than for scoring goals. While not much more is known about the story, you might recall back in 2009 when Kev speculated that it will be more dramatic in nature and a potential awards-season beauty.

I've always felt that Kevin, with his gift for storytelling, had an Oscar-worthy story in him and I truly hope that Hit Somebody is that story. It's a holy trifecta for me with Kevin Smith, hockey and filming in my hometown of Detroit.

Seann William Scott was originally slated to play Buddy, but opted out when he was cast in Goon, a different hockey movie written and starring Jay Baruchel. The tentative schedule is to film Hit Somebody in 2011 with a release sometime in 2012.