After The Secret Service became a surprise hit a few years back, the Kingman franchise looks set to stay as director Matthew Vaughn is spearheading a whole spy-fi universe. Following on from The Golden Circle, a prequel that explores the origins of the Kingsman organization is set to arrive next year, before Kingsman 3 then picks up and concludes the story of Harry Hart and Eggsy.
Reportedly called The Great Game, the Kingsman prequel takes place during the First World War and features an all-star cast including Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Other than that, not too much has been officially revealed as yet, but while speaking on the ReelBlend podcast, Vaughn did have a few words to say on the topic.
First off, he recalled how the franchise began – over a drink with comic book creator Mark Millar, who Vaughn’s collaborated with several times. As they developed the idea, he explained that additional storylines kept popping into his head.
“When we came up with Kingsman sitting in that pub with Mark Miller seven years ago, it was very much a thing of two fanboys getting drunk, lamenting about what’s happened to spy movies. And then the more I’d gotten involved in it, the more I just felt … was I planning a universe? No, but a universe sort of [developed]. It’s been like the Big Bang, that all these other ideas are coming. I don’t know where they come from, but I’m excited.”
Vaughn then went on to admit that he’s worried that audiences won’t take to the prequel. Or else, Kingsman fans might not like it while others who weren’t pleased with the first two might.
“Because the prequel is so different. For me, it was a whole new muscle to go off and develop, and I hope the public likes it. I don’t know. I mean, I’m very proud of it already. But it’s very, very different. So some people will — the people who hated Kingsman would probably love it, and all the people who love Kingsman might go, ‘What the hell has he gone and done?’ But hopefully people will like it. … It’s different in every which way but loose, apart from an ape.”
Obviously, the difference in time period will ring in some major changes, but it sounds like the Kingsman prequel will have a completely new feel and tone from the mainline movies as well. In any case, we’ll be able to make our mind up about it when it lands in cinemas on February 14th, 2020.