Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming prequel to Kingsman has just landed Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass). The news comes from Daily Mail entertainment reporter Baz Bamigboye, who revealed the new on Twitter. Director Matthew Vaughn previously worked with the actor as the producer/director off Kick-Ass. Bamigboye also revealed that Gemma Arterton and Tom Hollander have also joined the cast.
The trio will be joining the previously announced Daniel Brühl (The Alienist) Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Alien 3), and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man). Brühl and Dance’s roles are currently being kept under wraps, while Ifans is in talks to play a dangerous and manipulative Russian mystic.
Series writer/director Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) announced back in June that the third entry in the franchise, entitled Kingsman: The Great Game, would take place in the early 1900s and would follow the roots of the spy agency that Taron Egerton’s Eggsy would eventually become one of the remaining agents for and showing us the man who would be Kingsman. Vaughn also announced that unlike the previous two films, this one will be more of a period drama rather than a spy thriller.
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The film has already started attracting an all-star cast, with Trust‘s Harris Dickinson set for the lead role of Conrad, a cocky young hero eager to serve his country and continue his fight from World War I, and The Grand Budapest Hotel‘s Ralph Fiennes set to co-star.
The prequel to the hit action franchise comes as Vaughn continues to expand the universe, based on the graphic novel series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, past the two movies released thus far, including an eight-episode series, a true sequel to the last entry The Golden Circle that will wrap up the Harry Hart (Colin Firth)-Eggsy relationship and a spin-off focusing on the agency introduced in the last film, Statesman, with Channing Tatum (Logan Lucky), Halle Berry (John Wick 3: Parabellum) and Jeff Bridges (Bad Times at the El Royale) all set to reprise their roles from the previous film.
Production on Kingsman: The Great Game has already begun production and is currently slated for a November 8, 2019 release.
Coolest Kingsman References
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Spy Movie References
The most obvious references are the ones that hark back to the spy movies and shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s, which inspired Kingsman, including everything from the villain’s lair at the end of Kingsman that harks back to the greatest Bond villain hideouts including Blofeld’s volcano lair in You Only Live Twice (pictured) and a changing room that turns into an elevator which has been used in "Man from UNCLE" as well as Marvel's SHIELD comics.
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I Want My MTV
The film opens up with that famous line from Dire Strait’s “Money for Nothing,” sung by popstar Sting, who appeared in Vaughn’s early production, Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (co-produced by Sting’s wife Trudi Styler).
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Mark Hamill
Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker plays Dr. James Arnold, a scientist kidnapped in Kingsman although in the comics, it’s the actual Mark Hamill who is kidnapped by the “Star Wars” fan villain, who is actually Dr. James Arnold in the comics vs. Samuel L. Jackson’s Richmond Valentine.
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Trading Places
Colin Firth’s Harry Hart makes a comment to Eggsy about his situation being a bit like the 1983 Eddie Murphy-Dan Aykroyd comedy about a homeless guy who is brought into the world of high finances, drawing a parallel to Eggsy’s recruitment.
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Russell Simmons
The Def Jam hip-hop mogul was one of the inspirations for Samuel L. Jackson’s Richmond Valentine, particularly his dress style, complete with NYC baseball cap.
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Maxwell Smart-phone
There are plenty of Bond references, but there are also a few sly references to the ‘60s television show “Get Smart," starring Don Adams, including a nod to the famous shoe phone he used.
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The Knights of the Round Table
Kingsmen agents are named after the famed knights led by King Arthur with Michael Caine playing Arthur, Colin Firth as Galahad, Mark Strong as Merlin, etc. This might not seem particularly groundbreaking, until you realize that these names weren’t use in the comics and that Vaughn’s former collaborator Guy Ritchie’s next movie is about the Knights of the Round Table.
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KC and the Sunshine Band / Lynyrd Skynyrd
You wouldn’t expect either group to show up in the soundtrack of a spy movie, but in fact “Freebird” and “Give It Up” are used during two of the film’s craziest and most unforgettable action sequences.
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Happy Valentine's Day!
Even the movie’s U.S. release date is a clever nod, since it comes out on February 13, the day before a certain Hallmark holiday. It might seem random until you realize that Jackson’s baddie is named "Valentine" and he sets his masterplan on “V-Day.” So maybe moving the release from last October might make more sense as it pays homage to Jackson's quirky but unforgettable bad guy.
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Where is Jason Flemyng?
Not really a reference as much as an odd factoid, but Jason Flemyng has appeared in every single one of Vaughn’s films as a director and a number of the films he produced, but he’s noticeably absent in “Kingsman." There are a few roles he probably could have played and we thought maybe he appeared in a pivotal church sequence but turns out that's not the case. You can find out why in our upcoming interview with Vaughn.
