'Like nothing you have experienced before': 'Argylle' cast talk of working with Vaughn

The team behind the upcoming spy action film “Argylle” just had to pick Korea as the first country to visit on their global promotion tour because, in their words, Korean films are “groundbreaking” — just like their own film “Argylle.”

From left, actors Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard and Henry Cavill pose for photos during a press conference for the upcoming spy action film ″Argylle″ at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The team behind the upcoming spy action film “Argylle” just had to pick Korea as the first country to visit on their global promotion tour because, in their words, Korean films are “groundbreaking” — just like their own film “Argylle,” which opens in Korea on Feb. 2.

“Argylle” is the latest spy flick from director Matthew Vaughn, the force behind the hit “Kingsman” (2014-21) film series and action films “X-Men: First Class” (2011) and “Kick-Ass” (2010). Bryce Dallas Howard plays Elly Conway, a novelist who writes about spies. Henry Cavill is Argylle, the spy inside Elly’s novels, and Sam Rockwell is Aiden, an actual spy who helps Elly after she is kidnapped.

Cavill, Howard and Rockwell made the trip to Korea for promotions. Vaughn was originally set to tag along this time as well, but had to cancel due to health issues.

“Something that I really admire about Korean films and filmmakers is the risks they take,” Howard said during a press conference with reporters at Four Seasons Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday. “When you watch Korean films, it’s like nothing else you have ever seen and it’s really groundbreaking. And it makes sense for ‘Argylle’ to premiere here because this is also a groundbreaking film that takes you on a wild ride.”

Main poster for ″Argylle″ [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

“I always enjoy coming to Korea, and we don’t get to see nearly enough of this beautiful country,” said Cavill, who visited Korea six years ago for “Mission Impossible: Fallout” (2018).

“Argylle” puts a twist on the spy genre that Vaughn himself made popular, Howard said, noting that in real life, spies are not as clean-cut and well-kept as they are depicted in films.

“Vaughn is — excuse my language — taking the piss out of the genre that he has created himself,” Howard said. “And that's the thing that I love so much about this movie, that you get to see the fantasy and the reality side-by-side. It was wonderful to play a character who has an idea of something and she encounters the reality of that. Elly is polyamorous, you could say, when it comes to the two types of spies in ‘Argylle.’”

All three cast members were very keen to work with Vaughn, and sought out the director before he individually contacted them, according to Cavill, Howard and Rockwell.

Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard in ″Argylle,″ directed by Matthew Vaughn [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

“I worked with Vaughn many years ago on a film called ‘Stardust,’ and I loved the experience then,” Cavill said. “When Matthew sent me the script and he said ‘I’ve got so many ideas for this, just trust me,’ it was very easy.”

“I saw ‘Kingsman’ and I pursued him for a bit through my agent,” Rockwell said. “Eventually, randomly, out of nowhere I go this call and this great opportunity to read the script [for ‘Argylle.’] He’s a wild filmmaker. He’s very passionate and breaks a lot of rules.”

“Getting to be part of a Matthew Vaughn film is like nothing you have experienced before,” Howard said. “And I’d be remiss to mention his work with the late Brad Allen, one of the greatest action directors of all time. Sadly he passed away before the film opened. The action was so important and captured the essence of what Matthew created.”

A scene from ″Argylle″ starring Henry Cavill as Agent Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn [UNIVERSAL PICTURES]

Rockwell, who is so well known for having at least one dancing scene in his films — to the point that there’s a saying that “in Hollywood, Tom Cruise runs and Sam Rockwell dances” — had a record number of dancing scenes in “Argylle.”

“Get some tequila in me and I could [dance] right now,” Rockwell said, making everyone laugh. “When you are around real stunt people and real dancers, its humbling; I could do a couple of moves, but it’s really a way to stay relaxed.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]