With his prequel movie The King's Man hitting theaters this December, Matthew Vaugh is already prepping his next big action blockbuster, which will see him return to the spy genre yet again. And not only is Vaughn quickly putting the movie together, but he has assembled an incredible roster of actors to help him bring the story to life, including Henry Cavill.
Deadline reports that Vaughn will direct the spy thriller Argylle based on a yet-to-be-released novel by Ellie Conway. The movie is set to star Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Fast and Furious 9's John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson. It will also mark the acting debut of pop star Dua Lipa, who will also be providing music for the soundtrack.
Conway's novel is said to focus on the world's greatest spy, who is known as 'Argylle,' and it will follow him on his globe-trotting adventures. The novel is set to be released in 2022 and this first movie is said to launch a new spy franchise to rival the James Bond films and the Mission: Impossible series. Three Argylle movies are already planned so far, with the potential for more to follow.
Vaughn will produce the movie through his own production company, Marv, and it's looking to begin shooting in Europe this August. He will direct from a script by Wonder Woman writer Jason Fuchs. Vaugh's frequent collaborators Adam Bohling and David Reid are also onboard the project as producers. When speaking about the potential of the franchise, Vaughn expressed his excitement based on early treatment of the novel, saying it would "reinvent the spy genre."
Looking at a cast with this talent and star power immediately makes Argylle one of the most interesting upcoming movies on the horizon. It's great seeing Cavill continue to get the action movie roles outside of the DCEU, where he can continue to show off his leading man chops. He was also a favorite to take over the James Bond role but looks to have a spy series of his own now. Among the rest of the cast, it's very exciting to see O'Hara stepping into a big action blockbuster following her amazing Emmy-winning work on Schitt's Creek. Vaughn is also a very fun action director who clearly has a fondness for these types of stories. Then again, it's always a bit worrisome when plans are announced for a new franchise before the cameras even start rolling on the first movie.
With such a huge and impressive cast, it's a bit of a shame that the description makes Argylle sound like a run-of-the-mill spy movie. However, Vaughn's statement about the source material seems to suggest that there is something special in store for this one, and as the director of the Kingsman films, perhaps he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Argylle is scheduled to begin production in August 2021.
Source: Deadline