When Matthew Vaughn’s all-star comedy spy thriller “Argylle” was first announced back in July 2021, before Apple TV+ swooped in to buy the rights for $200 million, it was stated that the movie would be the first of at least three films in a major new franchise.
Two-and-half years on and “Argylle” — starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson — is premiering worldwide on Friday. But despite the deep pockets of Apple, two of its leading men claim they haven’t — yet — signed up for more.
“I guess we just want to see how it does,” Rockwell told Variety, with Cavill — who plays the fictional spy Argylle — adding that it “all depends on whether the audience likes what we’ve done.”
However, both Rockwell and Cavill asserted that, were further “Argylle” features given the go ahead, they’d definitely be interested.
“If Matthew comes calling, I’d certainly say yes,” said Cavill.
Described by Vaughn as his ode to 1980s action thrillers such as “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon” (but set in the modern day), the director previously claimed he cast Cavill because he thought he was perfect for the role of James Bond.
But Cavill — who has long been linked to 007 (and reportedly lost out to Daniel Craig when they were casting “Casino Royale”) — said that Argylle was “quite different” to cinema’s most famous secret agent.
“While it takes advantage of super spy tropes and dials them up to 11, it’s a different sort of thing,” he said. “Although Argylle obviously takes himself seriously due to the nature of his existence, the movie and the tone of the movie doesn’t, so it’s quite a different approach to a character like that.”
If there are more “Argylle” films to come, they’re going to have to fit around Cavill’s increasingly busy schedule. Alongside Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” due out in April and another as-yet-untitled Ritchie project which wrapped late last year, Cavill said the long-gestating reboot of cult classic “Highlander” — which he’ll lead and now has “John Wick” director Chad Stahelski on board — “starts shooting in July,” and then there’s his Amazon Studios “Warhammer 40,000” adaptation.
Rockwell, while his upcoming schedule may not be quite so hectic, is soon set to shoot “The Ring” director Gore Verbinski’s next film. While little is known about the project, Rockwell said it was the reason for him sporting a thick beard during the “Argylle” press tour.