Director Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman, Kick-Ass) sat down to talk about Argylle, his new high-octane spy thriller starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, and Sam Rockwell. In our conversation, Vaughn dove into what drew him to this project, why he wanted to reinvent action sequences for female leads, and the incredible music choices—including The Beatles’ Now and Then, a song so new that it still feels surreal to see it in a movie.
On Taking Argylle in His Own Direction
Unlike his previous films, Argylle is the first time Vaughn directed a script he didn’t write. But that didn’t stop him from reshaping the entire story. “Jason wrote a really good script with a lot of twists,” he said, but he wanted to make it bigger, wilder, and more unexpected. “I told him straight up: I’m gonna rip this apart.”
One of the biggest changes? Adding a second spy. Vaughn envisioned the film as a dual-perspective adventure, contrasting Henry Cavill’s over-the-top, glamorous super-spy with Sam Rockwell’s more rugged, down-to-earth agent. “Seeing how these two people are on the same mission but do things in completely different ways, that excited me,” he said.
Vaughn also aimed to push boundaries with action sequences, particularly in the third act. “We wanted to create the most fun, unique, feminine action sequence ever done before,” he teased. “And when we were filming it, there were moments where people were looking at me like, ‘Has he lost his mind?’”
The Now and Then Moment—How Vaughn Landed a Beatles Song
One of the biggest surprises in Argylle is the use of Now and Then, The Beatles’ final song. It’s not the polished, officially released version but rather John Lennon’s original demo, setting a raw, emotional tone for the film’s climactic moments.
“I was struggling to find a romantic song for the movie—something sad but hopeful,” Vaughn explained. That’s when Giles Martin, son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin, played Now and Then for him—over a year and a half ago.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Vaughn said. “The lyrics fit the film perfectly, like it was written for it. We dropped it into the movie, and it just fit.” Even more surreal was working with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Sean Lennon to secure the rights. “What an honor, what a privilege,” he added. “And I wasn’t allowed to talk about it for a year, which was painful.”
The Art of Casting and Finding “The Next Steve McQueen”
Vaughn’s films are known for their stacked casts, and Argylle is no different, featuring Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Cena. But how does he land such top-tier talent?
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” he said simply. “John Huston said that directing is 90% casting. If you’ve got the right people, your job is just keeping them in time, like a conductor.”
He also revealed that when developing characters, he often imagines classic Hollywood actors in the roles. “For Argylle, I wanted a mix of Sean Connery and Roger Moore. And for Aiden (Rockwell’s character), I told Sam, ‘Think Jack Nicholson, a lot of Gene Wilder, and a little bit of Bill Murray.’”
Vaughn even shared that when he was casting Layer Cake, he told his team, “We need to find the next Steve McQueen.” Enter: Daniel Craig.
Reinventing Disco with Boy George and Nile Rodgers
Another standout musical moment in Argylle is Electric Energy, a high-energy disco track performed by Boy George and Ariana DeBose, with legendary Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers. What’s wild is that the song didn’t exist before the film.
“We couldn’t find the right disco track for the action scene, so we wrote one,” Vaughn revealed. He co-wrote the song himself before bringing in Boy George, who added a new verse, and Rodgers, who laid down his signature funky guitar.
“The funny thing is, when people see the film, they’re convinced they know the song. They go, ‘Oh yeah, I remember dancing to this at Studio 54.’ And I have to tell them—it’s brand new.”
Samuel L. Jackson’s Ultimate Sam Jackson Moment
Samuel L. Jackson is a force in Argylle, and Vaughn relished directing him. “He could read the Yellow Pages and make it sound iconic,” he laughed.
One scene in particular—where Jackson delivers a poetic monologue about wine while plotting something devious—felt like classic Pulp Fiction-era Jackson. “He just brings an A+ game every single time,” Vaughn said.
What’s Next: A Whole Argylle Universe?
Vaughn confirmed that Argylle was designed to be the first film in a larger franchise. “The next movie would be Book One, where we go back and see how Argylle goes from this long-ponytailed guy to the flat-top super-spy,” he teased.
But whether we get more movies depends on how this one performs. “People have to go see it. It’s that simple. Cinema needs help right now.”
With Argylle, Vaughn set out to make the most fun spy movie possible. Between the insane cast, genre-bending action, unexpected humor, and that Now and Then surprise, this one is definitely worth a trip to the theater.
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
