Summary
- Matthew Vaughn admits he got carried away with the success of
Argylle
, despite it being a box office flop. - The film had the potential for a franchise, but poor reviews and earnings may hinder any sequels.
- Despite setbacks, Vaughn remains optimistic about the future of
Argylle
and hopes to make another one.
Matthew Vaughn has broken his silence on the critical and commercial failures of his movie, Argylle. Featuring a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bryan Cranston, and a plot with more twists than a French plait, the movie seemed destined for big things when it released its original trailers. However, on release it failed to make an impact on the box office, and critics slammed the film in brutal fashion.
2/5
Release Date February 2, 2024
Runtime 2hr 15min
Studio Apple Original Films, Apple Studios, Cloudy Productions
Tagline Once you know the secret don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Although Argylle performed well on its streaming debut on Apple TV+, the film cannot get away from its position as the first big flop of 2024, and that is something Vaughn really did not see coming. Candidly opening up on the subject to Empire Magazine, the director shared his thoughts on the harsh criticism the movie received. He said:
“F*ck yeah. My guard came down on Argylle . We had done test screenings that had gone fantastically well. The premiere was a really fun night, and it was like going back to the Snatch days where there was such excitement. And I started drinking the Kool-Aid. It’s a fun, feel-good movie, or I thought it was a fun, feel-good movie. We didn’t make Citizen Kane , but f*cking hell, then the reviews came out and I’m like, ‘Wait, what have I done to offend these people?’ They were vitriolic.”
I’m not saying the movie’s perfect by any means, but I didn’t think it was offensive.
“That took me by surprise. I even went round to cinemas because I thought, ‘Maybe I’ve lost the plot now.’ It did rattle me. I’m genuinely scratching my head about that, because you can’t ignore it. It wasn’t like [just] a few bad reviews. It is what it is. You learn from these things.”
Argylle Was Meant to Start a Franchise
The most disappointing thing about Argylle’s failure was the potential the movie had to expand into a much bigger franchise. While there were rumors of the film having links to Vaughn’s Kingsman franchise from the start, he had some grand plans for both sequels and prequels to the story of Henry Cavill’s fictional spy.
While getting past bad reviews is one thing, Argylle’s poor box office gross of just $96.1 million worldwide against an estimated $200 million budget, makes it hard to see any kind of sequel getting the green light. However, Vaughn clearly has not given up hope of seeing that happen. Asked about the potential continuation of the franchise, he said:
“We’re doing very well on streaming. People are liking it. Nothing would make me happier than making another one. I’m getting texts saying, ‘Wow, those reviews were f-cking harsh!’ The more we can get people to watch Argylle, the more chance we make another one. I’d love to make another one, we’ve got it planned.”
Related 10 Lighthearted Spy Movies That Won’t Disappoint You Like Argylle If you had high hopes for Argylle and were left disappointed, here are 10 great movies we recommend watching next.
While the future of Argylle hangs in the balance, Vaughn is currently working on the fourth and final movie in his Kingsman franchise. Titled Kingsman: The Blue Blood, the film is expected to conclude the Colin Firth and Taron Egerton-led spy thriller series, but currently has no release date.
Argylle
can be streamed on Apple TV+.
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