Known for his previous films like Kick-Ass and the Kingsman movies, filmmaker Matthew Vaughn is full of surprises. His films tend to have a number of twists and turns and his latest, Argylle is no exception. The story is about a mild-mannered author who specializes in spy novels. She’s a reclusive cat-lover whose simple life gets turned upside down when her fictional stories start to meld with her real life while working on her fifth book about the legendary Agent Argylle.
Some of the fun from the movie comes from tales in the making of the movie. Here are few interesting details that you might not know about the movie. Warning: Mild spoilers ahead. Keep the cat in the bag.
‘Argylle’ was Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock
In press materials for the film, Vaughn explained that during the 2020 Covid lockdown, the filmmaker created his own movie appreciation class for his wife and two young daughters. The family watched everything from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner flick, Romancing the Stone. However, it was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film, North by Northwest that really inspired Vaughn. The idea of a seemingly everyday man accidentally getting caught up in an extreme espionage adventure intrigued him.
The Movie is Loosely Based on a Novel
Vaughn says the ironically, he received a manuscript of an unpublished novel during the same time of his impromptu film classes. The story was a straightforward tale about the adventures of Agent Argylle. He liked it, but he was more interested in telling a story about the author rather than the spy novel. The screenplay for the final movie was written by Jason Fuchs, known for writing the script for Wonder Woman.
There is a Real Elly Conway – Maybe
It is said that the novel Argylle that inspired the movie was written by a real Elly Conway. The novel recently published by Bantam Books and Penguin Random House in early January 2024. Suspiciously looking like the book featured in the movie, the jacket covers states that Elly Conway was born and raised in upstate New York. However, neither photos of the author nor have any concrete evidence about the woman have been found. So, is there a real Elly Conway? She has an Instagram account.
Some people have speculated that the novel was actually written by Taylor Swift under a pseudonym. That theory was debunked by Vanity Fair and Vaughn told as much to Rolling Stone saying “There is a real book … and it’s a really good book. And there is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it’s not Taylor Swift.”
In addition, cast mates Bryan Cranston and Bryce Dallas Howard have said that they have met the real Elly Conway. Cranston told Digital Spy, “We have [met her], yes. Can’t talk about it.” and Howard joked, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you. We’d have to literally kill you.”
Alfie the Cat is Owned by the Director
Vaughn says that the cat featured in the movie is his own Scottish Fold feline named Chip. The “professional” cat that the movie crew hired for the film had an attitude and just didn’t work, so Vaughn decided to hire his own Scottish Fold feline, Chip.
Howard and Cavill Almost Worked Together Before ‘Argylle‘
Bryce Dallas Howard had auditioned for Vaughn’s 2007 romantic fantasy film Stardust and she would have gotten the role except by the time a decision would be made, she had gotten cast to appear in Spider-Man 3 as Gwen Stacy. Henry Cavill, who plays Agent Argylle, was actually in Stardust.
Hairy Situation
The beard that Sam Rockwell sports during the beginning of Argylle was real. He grew out the long bushy beard two years prior. Cavill’s flattop haircut was also very real, and the actor didn’t push back. However, he has said that in “real life” it’s “not for me.”
Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose and Boy George
Although Grammy-winning singer Dua Lipa appeared in Barbie, Vaughn says that she was actually cast for Argylle first as the hero’s nemesis, Lagrange. Ariana DeBose is also known for her singing. She not only starred and won an Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, but she also lent her voice for Disney’s animated film Wish. Her character doesn’t sing in Argylle, but she does sing two songs featured in the film. She sings, “Get Up and Start Again” as an homage to James Bond themes and she teamed up with Boy George for a disco-themed song, “Electric Energy”. Both songs play during the credits.
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