We’ve had bite-sized promos and quirky teasers that crammed an entire trailer’s worth of action into just ten seconds, but now, just as excitement begins to reach a fever-pitch, 20th Century Fox has premiered the full-length trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Headed up once again by Matthew Vaughn, who directs from a script he co-wrote alongside frequent collaborator Jane Goldman, The Golden Circle takes the over-the-top spy action Stateside, where Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to call upon the Statesmen once Julianne Moore’s Poppy enters the fray. She’s been described as a megalomaniac hellbent on world domination – not unlike Samuel L. Jackson’s Valentine from The Secret Service, then – and Vaughn hinted that her mega-villain is, in essence, the “American sweetheart gone wrong.” Horribly wrong.
Among the fleet of newcomers are Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges, who play Agents Tequila and Champagne, respectively. There’s also room in the sequel’s ranks for Halle Berry’s Ginger, an assistant of the Kingsmen whose sharp intelligence is matched only by her sharp dress sense.
Vinnie Jones, Elton John, and Pedro Pascal have also enrolled for The Golden Circle, though each of their respective characters remains a mystery at the time of writing. And yes, despite overly exaggerated reports of his untimely death, Colin Firth is back, back, back as Harry Hart, the former mentor to Eggsy.
Once slated for a primetime June release, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is now set for launch on September 22nd, when Matthew Vaughn’s über-stylish actioner will be competing with the likes of The LEGO Ninjago Movie and true-life sports pic Battle of the Sexes for box office supremacy. The Secret Service blew past all expectations and box office forecasts to score a whopping $414 million back in 2014, so it’ll be fascinating to discover how its sequel fares now that the stakes have been unequivocally raised.