Evidently moving from breaking hearts in music to breaking bones on the big screen, singer Taylor Swift has become the latest celebrity to join the cast of X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming spy caper The Secret Service.
According to British tabloid The Mirror, the American singer-songwriter will appear in the part of a young woman who escapes after being kidnapped by the film’s villain, to be played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Swift previously appeared as (what else?) a lovesick teenager in Gary Marshall’s ensemble romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, so hopefully she will get more of a chance to show off her acting talent this time around.
A production source on The Secret Service said that filming will commence this October and will take place almost entirely in the United Kingdom and France.
About Swift’s casting, the source had this to say:
“Matthew looked at a number of actresses to play the part before settling on Taylor – apparently she was a natural on the big screen. She’s also someone fresh and unseen in Hollywood terms which was massively appealing… It will be Taylor’s biggest challenge yet but she cannot wait.”
The Secret Service, based on a graphic novel by Kick-Ass writer Mark Millar and Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, follows a young troublemaker (British newcomer Taron Egerton) from the streets of London who is recruited into a secret spy school at the bequest of his uncle (Colin Firth). Michael Caine is also set to star in the thriller, which The Mirror describes as “a 21st Century 007.” British footballer David Beckham and singers Elton John and Adele have all been offered cameo roles in the film.
So far, I’m cautiously optimistic about this film; Vaughn is a hugely talented director, and he has some excellent source material to draw from with this project. It’s still a bit too early to tell but I think that the filmmaker has another hit on his hands here and I’m excited to see how the final product turns out.
Have you read the comic-book series from which The Secret Service is adapted? Are you excited for this action thriller? Let us know in the comments section.
The Secret Service will arrive in theaters on November 14th, 2014.
