Harry Potter Star To Headline Kingsman Prequel Movie For Fox

Is Ralph Fiennes about to be appointed as ringleader of a new, much older circle of Kingsmen?

That’s the latest casting tidbit to emerge from The Daily Mail, who believe that the Harry Potter and Grand Budapest Hotel star is signing on to lead a Kingsman prequel movie for Fox. There’ve been conflicting reports as to whether this will be the recently announced third installment in the franchise or a separate spinoff of some sort, but the outlet claims that it’s the former, with the studio looking to roll back the years to tell a story rooted in the past.

Furthermore, The Daily Mail says that the pic will be set “during World War I and focus on the man who would be Kingsman,” with some of the story revolving around the “real life Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment which, for more than a century, has included Kingsman as a unique rank, the equivalent of private.” Details beyond that remain scarce, but it sounds like an interesting angle to take, to be sure.

Again, though, it’s unclear whether this will be the follow-up to The Golden Circle, as director Matthew Vaughn recently revealed to Empire that Kingsman 3 will act as “the conclusion of the Harry Hart-Eggsy relationship.” Of course, that’d mean it’s a separate project from this prequel, despite what The Daily Mail’s saying.

Regardless, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the franchise, with another spinoff said to be in the works, too, which would focus on the Statesman. Not only that, but there’ve been rumors of a miniseries for television as well, though there’s no word on what it’ll revolve around.

Still, there’s much to look forward to over the next couple of years and while the impending Disney-Fox merger has raised question marks over Kingsman‘s future, Bob Iger, CEO of the Mouse House, recently voiced his desire to continue the franchise well beyond 2019.