Director Matthew Bourne of 'Argyle' Loves Korea... "A Country with K-Content and Chicken"

'Kingsman' Director's New Film 'Argylle' Opens on the 7th
"Korea Is My Second Home... Special Love for Movies"
"Portraying a Woman Character Worthy of Respect"

“‘Oldboy’ (2003), ‘Train to Busan’ (2016), ‘Squid Game’ (2021), and other Korean films are so excellent that they inspire admiration. K-content has a very strong identity.”

Director Matthew Vaughn (52) said this during a virtual press conference on the morning of the 1st regarding his new film 'Argylle.' After recently canceling his visit to Korea due to health reasons, he met with domestic reporters via video call and expressed his regret, saying, "I was sorry I couldn't come." He also showed his affection for Korean films and audiences. He added, "My son said, 'Korea is the country with the best chicken on earth,'" and said, "If I go to Korea, I definitely want to eat chicken and stay for a long time."

Director Matthew Vaughn Photo by Universal Pictures

Previously, the 'Kingsman' series directed by Matthew Vaughn was released domestically and attracted a total of 10 million viewers, achieving commercial success. The first film, 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' (2016), drew 6.12 million viewers; the second, 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' (2017), 4.94 million; and the third, 'The King's Man' (2021), 1.02 million viewers.

On this day, Director Matthew Vaughn expressed, "I am surprised and grateful that Korean audiences gave so much support and love to the first 'Kingsman' film." He continued, "As someone who loves Korean films and culture, seeing my films accepted in Korea made me hold the country close to my heart." He said, "Korea is far away but also another home. Korea is a country that passionately loves movies, and Koreans are very warm. In some ways, Korean audiences love movies even more than British audiences," showing his affection.

'Argylle,' which opens on the 7th, is an action blockbuster about a writer named Ellie, whose spy novel becomes reality, making her the target of spies worldwide. To escape danger, she writes the next chapter of her novel and seeks out the legendary agent Argylle in real life. The film stars Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Sam Rockwell.

Director Matthew Vaughn said, "I worked hard to balance the tone of the story." He added, "You will discover unexpected things and leave the theater with a smile. I am confident it will be a surprising and very fun movie." He expressed confidence, saying, "It will be beyond anything you imagine."

'Argyle' stills [Photo by Universal Pictures]

"Argylle can be seen as symbolizing the world of 'Kingsman.' On one side, there is the superhuman spy who is perfectly dressed and powerful, and on the other, a contrasting character. I wanted to create a new image and fantasy by clashing these two contrasting characters."

Director Matthew Vaughn, who consecutively presented spy espionage action genres with 'Kingsman' and 'Argylle,' has earned the nickname 'B-grade action master.' Spy espionage is a universally loved genre in theaters worldwide. The director explained, "'007' series beautifully portrayed the Cold War era. Through the 'Kingsman' series, I depicted the importance of leaders and the ripple effects of small actions." He added, "I am a 'spy holic' who really loves spy stories," and analyzed, "Perhaps audiences love spy stories because anyone can become a spy."

Regarding the choice of an ordinary woman in her 30s, Ellie, as the protagonist, the director said, "I wanted to create a celebrity-level work about what it means to be a woman." He continued, "I wanted to portray a realistic woman. I created a female character that many women can relate to and respect."

The director's daughter's pet cat, 'Chip,' appears in the film as the character 'Alfie.' Alfie plays an important role as the source of disputes among the characters in the movie. Chip also attended the London premiere alongside Claudia Schiffer and walked the red carpet, attracting attention.

'Argyle' stills [Photo by Universal Pictures]

The director revealed, "The actual filmed footage is 90%, and 10% is CG (special effects)." He said, "Although I was able to direct various scenes enjoyably, we filmed so that it wouldn't feel like the cat was forced to act. The cat treated the set like a new home and was comfortable. That was the most important thing. The crew also treated it comfortably."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.