Kingsman is a British American multimedia franchise consisting of action comedy comic books, films, and video games that follow the missions of Agent Galahad of Kingsman, a fictional secret service organization. The franchise is based on the comic book series created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, a 2012 Marvel Comics release set in the Millarworld which is based on a concept by Millar and Matthew Vaughn.[1] It has garnered success both financially and critically.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is directed by Vaughn from a script that he co-wrote with Jane Goldman, starring Colin Firth and Taron Egerton. It was released in February 2015. The sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle and the comic book Kingsman: The Red Diamond were both released in September 2017. The prequel film The King's Man was released in December 2021 starring Ralph Fiennes.[2] The crossover comic Big Game was published in July 2023. The films were released by 20th Century Studios, while The Red Diamond and Big Game were published by Image Comics. The crossover film Argylle was released in February 2024 by Universal Pictures and Apple Original Films, directed by Vaughn, and co-starring Henry Cavill as Agent Argylle of Kingsman.
The film series is to continue with a third Kingsman film titled Kingsman: The Blue Blood,[3] and a second The King's Man film titled The King's Man: The Traitor King, as well as a spin-off eight-hour television limited series centred around the franchise's American spy agency Statesman. Adaptations of the films have been published, and a handful of Kingsman video games have been released since 2012, although they are unavailable in the UK.
The first film, Kingsman: The Secret Service, is set over the course of two years, from 2014 to 2015. Having dropped out of training for the Royal Marines, becoming a stereotypical chav and being arrested for stealing a car, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin's release is arranged by Harry Hart, a Kingsman and his late father's colleague. Hart, a veteran spy of the secret organisation Kingsman, recruits Eggsy into the agency's competitive training programme as a global threat emerges from a billionaire, Richmond Valentine.[5]
The concept of an adaptation of The Secret Service originated when Millar and Vaughn were at a bar discussing spy movies, lamenting that the genre had become too serious and deciding to do "a fun one."[6] To have the time to make the film, Vaughn had to opt out of directing X-Men: Days of Future Past, which he called "a really tough decision".[6] He reasoned that if he did not do it, "somebody else ... [would] wake up and do a fun spy movie. Then I would have written a bloody screenplay that no one would want to make."[6] Colin Firth joined the cast to lead the film on 29 April 2013.[7] It was initially reported in 2013 that Leonardo DiCaprio was in talks to play a villain,[8] but Vaughn denied that he was ever considered.[9] Instead the role went to Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson took the role in part because of a careerlong dream to be in a James Bond movie. He felt that this was unlikely to come true and said, "I felt like this was an opportunity to play a really great Bond villain."[10] Jackson's character has a notable lisp, a choice he decided to make based partially on the stutter he had as a kid.[10] In September 2013, Vaughn cast Sophie Cookson as the female lead, preferring a newcomer over more obvious candidates like Emma Watson and Bella Heathcote.[11] Mark Hamill was cast as Professor James Arnold, a reference to his character in the source comic book being himself.[12]
Principal photography began 6 October 2013 in Deepcut, Surrey,[13][14] on a budget reported to be one-third of the $200 million budget of Skyfall.[15] The Alexandra Road Estate in Camden[16] was used for Eggsy's home area, and some scenes were filmed at Imperial College London. The Black Prince Pub in Kennington, South London, was used for various fight scenes and the car chase. Savile Row in Mayfair was also employed as a location and the exterior of tailors Huntsman, which provided the clothes, and James Lock & Co. in St James's, which provided the hats.[17] Elton John was rumoured to have a role in the film.[18][19] Although this would prove untrue, John would appear in the film's sequel. Kingsman: The Secret Service was released in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2015.
The second film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) is set over the course of one week. When Kingsman's headquarters are destroyed, their agents discover an allied spy organisation in the United States, the Statesman. The two join forces to defeat a common enemy to save the world.[20]
Near the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, Millar and Vaughn said a sequel was possible if the first film performed well at the box office, and Vaughn expressed interest in directing the sequel.[21][22] Vaughn also noted that he had hoped to have Firth in the sequel, but it was later reported that Firth would not be returning.[23]
On 29 April 2015, Fox announced that a sequel was in production, but that it was unclear if Vaughn would direct due to his interest in directing a Flash Gordon film.[24] On 11 June 2015, Vaughn told Yahoo that he had begun writing the sequel's script and that he might direct.[25] In September 2015, Millar reiterated that the sequel was in development and that Vaughn was looking for ways to bring Firth back without sacrificing the story's integrity. Later that month, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Egerton had also signed on for the Robin Hood: Origins franchise, which would begin shooting in February 2016; Egerton's schedule was accordingly in conflict with the Kingsman sequel. But in mid-October it was confirmed that the scheduling issues had been settled between both studios. Lionsgate planned to begin Robin Hood's production right after Egerton wrapped filming on Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which was expected to begin production in April 2016.[26]
On 17 February 2016, it was revealed that Julianne Moore was in negotiations to play the film's villain.[27] On 10 March 2016, Halle Berry was cast as the head of the CIA.[28] Her role later turned out as that of Statesman's tech support. In late March, Vaughn confirmed Berry's and Moore's casting, as well as the title, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. On 8 April 2016, Pedro Pascal was cast as Jack Daniels.[29] The same day, a promotional poster was released featuring Firth's character's glasses, confirming his return;[30] Firth's return was officially confirmed on 11 July 2016.[31] Channing Tatum confirmed his casting on his Twitter account, while Variety confirmed that Elton John was in talks for a role.[32] In late April, Vaughn said of the sequel, "writing this was the hardest thing I've ever done."[33] Jeff Bridges was added to the cast on 28 May 2016.[34] Vinnie Jones announced on Twitter that he had been cast in a role.[35][non-primary source needed][non-primary source needed]
Principal photography on the film began on 15 May 2016 in Birmingham.[36][37][38] Filming also took place in Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. On 13 September 2016, Kingsman: The Golden Circle completed initial filming.[39] Additional footage was shot in London in December 2016.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle was originally scheduled for release on 16 June 2017, by 20th Century Fox, but was pushed back to 6 October.[40] Then it was pushed up from 6 October to 22 September. The film was given an IMAX release.[41] It eventually opened in the UK on 20 September.
In June 2018, Vaughn announced that a prequel film was in active development, stating that the plot would take place during the early 1900s and depict the formation of the spy agency, and that the project would be filmed back-to-back with "the third regular Kingsman film".[45][46] In September 2018, it was announced that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson would star in the prequel.[52] In October 2018, it was rumored that Rachel Weisz and Brad Pitt were being considered for roles in the film.[53] In November 2018, it was revealed that Daniel Brhl, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans, and Matthew Goode would co-star in the film.[54] The film would reportedly be a period drama stylistically, and will explore the formation of the Kingsman tailors and agency, with the tagline for the film being "The man who would be Kingsman."[54] In June 2019, the film's official title was announced to be The King's Man.[55]
The King's Man was released on 22 December 2021 by 20th Century Studios. The film was originally slated for a November 2019 release but was delayed eight times due to production issues and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[56][57]
In October 2023, it was reported that a sequel to The King's Man was in early development, tentatively entitled The King's Man: The Traitor King, following the fictionalised rise of Adolf Hitler (portrayed by David Kross) in the franchise's alternate history setting, "com[ing] to power and basically was supported by the English aristocracy". Speaking to Collider's Maggie Lovitt at New York Comic-Con, Vaughn stated that the script for The King's Man: The Traitor King had been completed.[58]
On 2 February 2024, Argylle, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bryan Cranston, was released. In the film, Howard portrays Elly Conway, a spy novelist who is revealed to be a brainwashed sleeper agent for the CIA named Rachel Kylle, whose books contained the repressed memories of her spy persona. Despite her character of Aubrey Argylle, portrayed by Henry Cavill, being a fictional stand-in for herself within the continuity of her books, the real Agent Argylle reveals himself to Elly/Rachel during the release of the final book in her Argylle book series (portrayed again by Cavill as an adult, and Louis Partridge as a younger Argylle). It's also revealed that Argylle is also a member of the Kingsman, bringing the two universes together.
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