Argylle - The Spy Disguised as a Henry Cavill Spy Movie
Is Director Matthew Vaughn tricking us with his latest Spy Film?
The most covert spy film…
Argylle, the latest action spy film directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn, appears to be reveling in a bit of real-world cloak-and-dagger mystery.
In 2021, news broke that Matthew Vaughn, director of several exciting films like The Kingsman franchise and Layer Cake, had discovered the next treasure in the spy genre. Based on the novel of the same name, Vaughn felt as he struck gold when he discovered Argylle. Quoted when the announcement of the film released, Vaughn made bold claims that surely would excite any fan of the spy genre.
“When I read this early draft manuscript, I felt it was the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming’s books of the ‘50s,” director Matthew Vaughn exclaimed when the film project was announced in August 2021. “This is going to reinvent the spy genre.”
Apple agreed to purchase the film for $200 million with hopes this film will spawn a trilogy. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, he has a knack for spy and action thriller films. The film features quite a rousing ensemble cast comprising Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, Rob Delaney, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, and Samuel L. Jackson. I am like Pavlov’s dog seeing this cast list!
During casting, Vaughn said he wanted to nab an actor that was James Bond without being Bond. Who better than the former runner-up to Daniel Craig and desired 007 for many fans? Hard to beat Henry Cavill!
What came first, the book or the film?
Of course, we will see the books on the shelves and the film flashing on our screens at home soon… right?
Based on the director’s quote, supposedly there is a manuscript of a book in which the film is based upon. Makes sense as many books are optioned and purchased with the intent to create a film. Many novels in the espionage thriller genre get picked up for the chance to hit the big screen. Just last year two massive book series come to life with The Terminal List by Jack Carr and The Gray Man by Mark Greaney.
Selling book ideas before the book is completed or even written is not the norm. Hey, we are talking about Hollywood here. If it can make money, then it’s not completely outlandish. One example that comes to mind is how Michael Creighton originally drafted Jurassic Park as a screenplay only to rework the story and sell the rights before the publication of the book. However, the book released prior to the film.
The Argylle novel has yet to be released and already has a film adaptation in Post-Production. Footage of the film, albeit a couple of brief snippets, was released on March 6, 2022. Now over a year has passed and we are neither closer to reading the book nor seeing the film. Both mediums of the story and characters yearn for our viewing pleasure. Perhaps the book is being hammered to completion by the author and editors. To be fair, writing a book is no easy feat. As for creating a film, this too may continue to be refined in the post-production process. But are either mediums nearing release?
Moving Target…
Argylle, the book, originally slated for a release on September 29th 2022, had its release bumped. A January 2023 date popped up, only to disappear with the publication date changing to March 30th, 2023. But guess what, no news of a novel release for this date! Now the Amazon listing shows a release date set for July 6th, 2023.
As readers and spy novel enthusiasts just want a simple answer to our question. Will the July date stick? When will we be able to read the book and will it be before or after the film releases? As others who wish to only see the film, when will the movie release? Unfortunately, these questions remain unanswered.
The Author… Will the real Ms. Conway stand up?
Allegedly the film is based on a book written by an author named Elly Conway. Or is it Ellie? Discrepancies in the spelling of the name have people going back and forth. Not to mention, no one truly knows who the author is. Not that authors always get the fame or spotlight that is deserved, but tracing back to the author is usually a non-issue.
Trust in the Penguin… perhaps the author’s publishing company, Penguin Random House, which maintains Conway’s author bio, could be trusted. The listing of the book on Penguin’s site, seen here, provides the option to pre-order the book via Amazon or other seller’s sites. A brief… and I mean brief, bio is also available and reads below:
“Elly Conway is the author of the heavily anticipated debut thriller, Argylle. She lives in the United States and is currently working on the next installment in the series.”
Yet the site page stings us for blindly trusting. The page lists her name as Elly Conway, but if you see in the image below, the site name has it listed as ‘Ellie Conway’. Perhaps this is where the name discrepancy started. Perhaps this was a typo, or it could be a sign of something deeper.
Then again we are talking about one of the largest publishing companies. This is not a case of an author self-publishing and lacking industry or advertising cadence. Nor are these issues plaguing a small boutique publisher. We are talking about one of the largest publishing companies. When money is on the line, publishing companies tend to go by the book… no pun intended.
Multiple creditable news sources, like the Hollywood Reporter, attempted to contact the author. Even going to the lengths to contact the book publisher, only to be shuffled around until further notice. Even Elly Conway’s Instagram profile has no posts, follows one person, and has few followers. One of the followers is Ms. Bryce Dallas Howard herself!
For now, we still have yet to know who Ms. Conway is.
What is the plot of Argylle?
Two synopses may possibly provide insight into the film. One is from the book listing, the other is promoted for the film, let’s take a look at both.
Here is the synopsis listed on Amazon for the book.
“A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny.
A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle.
A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland.
A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.
One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first…”
Film Synopsis:
“A world-class spy suffering from amnesia is tricked into believing he is a best-selling spy novelist. After his memories and lethal skills return, he goes down a path of revenge against the shadowy organization he used to work for, the Division.”
Do these feel like the same story to you? Is the film synopsis truly a condensed version of the story that uses the bigger points from the novel’s synopsis? Or is the film going in a different direction, only to take inspiration or elements from the book?
If I am being honest, I feel that the premises are drastically different. The book synopsis feels rich with intrigue, thick with excitement, and twists to surprise us. The book seems more swashbuckling as treasure is involved.
The film synopsis has a killer hook playing on the amnesiac spy who thinks they are a best-selling spy novelist. This is a fun idea we haven’t seen before. Perhaps the film is taking elements from the novel only to place them in its own story.
Ultimately the two synopses lack crossover aside from being a spy story, sharing a title and character. Also if the film is drastically different, then why the need to wait for the novel to be released first? The novel has been delayed along with the film, but is it correlated? I am not an expert in publishing, but from my knowledge, release dates are not typically missed with this much uncertainty.
Now the conspiracy…
What if I told you the book may not actually exist?
Originally, the book was set to drop in 2022. It is beyond that date and still, no book is available. The latest update on the Amazon listing is set for July 6, 2023. Will it actually launch and be readable on this date? I will report back once we have more news or I have consumed the words on the page.
But if we take into account everything surrounding Argylle, even the film premise itself, perhaps this is all smoke and mirrors. Movie Magic?
I stumbled across an interesting Reddit thread here. Redditors deduced to the notion that Elly Conway is a character in the film. Conway is an author who is writing the book based on Cavill’s character and supposedly Conway will be played by Bryce Dallas Howard.
Extra fun tidbit… The hairdo…
What says spy like a flat top?! Okay, seriously… Henry Cavill’s character is sporting a flat top. Love it or hate it, there is no changing it! While it’s not Cavill’s best hairstyle, he somehow still looks presentable and capable of pulling off this zany look. The issue may be that the hairstyle feels more Bond villain than a super spy.
My Thoughts…
Okay, flat top aside, Argylle remains shrouded in mystery in both book and film form.
Two ways of looking at this spy game…
Option 1: The novel is written by the real Elly Conway. Like any novel traditionally published, the work required revisions and missed the release window. It will eventually release. The film is also undergoing post-production work and perhaps Matthew Vaughn, his production company MARV, and Apple feel it needs more time to bake in the oven. Apple did spend $200 million and hopes this will turn into a franchise. Eventually, the film will release on Apple TV in 2023… hopefully.
Or…
Option 2: Elly Conway is not a real author, but a character in the film. Probably to be played by Bryce Dallas Howard. The so-called Argylle book to be released is a mere marketing tie-in for the film, not a true standalone novel. Like a real-life spy, Matthew Vaughn has become a spy in front of our eyes as he whipped a thrilling game of misdirection and Hollywood smoke and mirrors to rouse excitement for his upcoming film.
As for which option I think is the truth… normally I’d say the odds favor option 1. With this much misdirection, I’d rather risk it and double down on option 2. I’d rather be bold than play it safe with what statistically is more likely. Bring on option 2!
Book or no book, either way, we will see Henry Cavill back in the role of a spy. Ultimately, Argylle is possibly the spy disguised as a spy movie…