Matthew Vaughn maintains secrecy about the mysterious events in his upcoming film, Argylle.
An Unconventional Spy Thriller: A Chat with Matthew Vaughn
Get ready for a wild ride, folks! Matthew Vaughn, the man behind X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, is back with a twisty, meta tale that wouldn't be out of place in a Cohen Brothers flick, if the Coens were handling a spy action-comedy. The film is none other than Argylle, a movie that seems to be straddling the line between Stranger Than Fiction and an 80's adventure flick. Well, that's the impression on the surface, at least.
Vaughn has been rather tight-lipped about Argylle, but in an interview with io9, he describes it as a reflection of current taste, a departure from the gravitas of superhero and spy movies of the past. With all the darkness in the world, Vaughn wants to provide a two-hour escape, harking back to the 80's romps of yore, like Romancing the Stone.
Or, is Argylle just that? A simple spy movie, action flick, romp, or thriller? Oh, no, not according to the director. The movie is also a sci-fi flick, a date movie, and, if you really think about it, it's even a bit of a meta commentary on the world of espionage and fiction.
"I'm going batshit crazy by the end of it," he says.
And speaking of batshit, there's the intriguing case of Elly Conway, the author whose book the movie is allegedly based on. Vaughn insists that Conway is a very real person who has a very real book waiting in the wings. But what of this book? According to The Hollywood Reporter, there's no sign of this amazing new author or her mega-deal. Vaughn confirmed to io9 that, yes, the author exists, and while the book is the centerpiece of the film's mystique, it also adds another layer of whimsy to this already off-the-wall production.
In a movie panel at Comic Con, Vaughn told the audience to look underneath their seats, promising that 100 of them would take home a copy of the real Argylle book. io9, however, was not so lucky. Talk also circulated about the tagline "don't let the cat out of the bag," which plays into the movie's cat motif, with one cat even making an appearance in a spaceship backpack for part of the film.
Interestingly, the initial cat they brought in for filming was canned after just a day of shooting, with Vaughn opting to use his daughter's cat instead.
In a New York Comic Con exclusive clip, we get a taste of the chaos that awaits in the movie, with Sam Rockwell playing the real-life agent Aiden, Henry Cavill as the fictional Argylle, and Bryce Dallas Howard as the clueless author Elly Conway. The trailer is a dizzying blend of flash cuts, making it difficult to discern just what the story is all about, much like the enigmatic book at the heart of the film.
Argylle is set for a theatrical release on Feb. 2, 2024, with a streaming date still to be determined on Apple TV+.
Stay tuned for the latest on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC, and Doctor Who, right here at io9!
- Matthew Vaughn, known for movies like X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service, is set to deliver a unique blend of genres with Argylle in 2024, promising an escape from darker themes reminiscent of 80's romps like Romancing the Stone.
- Argylle, a movie based on a supposedly real book by Elly Conway, has been described by Vaughn as a sci-fi flick, date movie, and a meta commentary on the world of espionage and fiction, with elements that hint at mystery and whimsy.
- In an interview with io9, Vaughn revealed that the initial cat brought for filming was replaced with his daughter's cat, adding a personal touch to the movie's cat motif.
- Argylle, featuring stars like Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, and Bryce Dallas Howard, promises a chaotic and enigmatic story, reflected in the trailer's dizzying blend of flash cuts and hard-to-discern plotlines.
- The release date for Argylle is set for February 2, 2024, with a streaming date to be determined on Apple TV+.
- Stay updated on the latest in movies and entertainment, including Argylle and other blockbusters, at io9, your go-to source for news on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC, and Doctor Who.
