Apple TV+'s 'Argylle' Trailer Is A Twisted Anglophilic Fantasy
Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena in 'Argylle'
Apple TV+.
When Telly Visions initially reported on Argylle in June 2023, we noted Apple TV+'s forthcoming film, billed as a James Bond-like thriller, was "based on the debut novel by Elly Conway," a book, we should note, which was not actually on bookshelves, or available for preorder upon the time of our article's publication. This was not as surprising as it might sound. Since Peak TV and streaming took hold, optioning books sight unseen is more common than people realize. Though most of the time, production studios hold off on actually filming until the book officially makes the best-seller list, things don't always occur in the correct order.
However, with the debut of the film's trailer, it turns out Apple TV+'s marketing was having a little fun at everyone's expense. "Elly Conway" is not a real person we can unearth through extensive Googling, the debut author of Argylle, or any other novel. She is the main character of the film Argylle, played by actor Bryce Dallas Howard (Rocketman). Howard's character is the author of an entire slew of best-selling spy capers starring her suave fantasy British detective of that name, and her latest novel, which is currently under the working title of "Argylle," isn't going well.
At least, Conway doesn't think things are going well until, traveling through the English countryside, she suddenly discovers herself in the middle of a spy caper of her own. And that's when things really start not going well.
Here's the film's synopsis:
Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly’s fictional books—which center on secret agent Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate—begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past.
The cast is a mix of British and American actors, with Henry Cavill (Enola Homes) as the fantasy version of Conway's titular lead and British pop sensation Dua Lipa (Barbie) as his fantasy love interest/nemesis. (We can also hope she does the soundtrack.) The Americans in the "real-life" parts of the film are played by an A-list lineup of blockbuster actors, including Canadian Catherine O’Hara (Schitt's Creek), and Americans Sam Rockwell (GalaxyQuest), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), John Cena (Peacemaker), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), and Samuel L. Jackson (Secret Invasion).
Argylle is directed and produced by British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) and written by American Jason Fuchs (Pan). Alfie, Conway's cat, is played by Chip, the real-life cat of model Claudia Schiffer, Vaughn's wife.
Argylle is expected to have a limited debut in theaters in the doldrums of January and arrives on Apple TV+ on Friday, February 2, 2024.
