‘Kingsman 2’ To Start Shooting In Early 2016?
Kingsman: The Secret Service was a box-office success at the beginning of 2015, so there was little surprise when a sequel was quickly announced. It seems Fox are moving ahead with filming on this proposed sequel in April 2016 — but there’s one slight snag.
The stumbling block may be the schedule of its breakout star, Taron Egerton. He recently landed the lead role in Lionsgate’s Robin Hood: Origins, which also begins production in early 2016. Egerton is committed to a sequel option with the Kingsman franchise, but with an unfinished script currently in play, they may struggle to secure their star before Robin Hood begins.
Robin Hood: Origins is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, which creates a conflict between the two studios. However, Fox isn’t budging. The option on Egerton puts them in pole position, meaning a Kingsman movie could take priority over Robin Hood. With Lionsgate deep in pre-production, the situation could become complicated in the following months. However, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox insiders believe things will work out.
Matthew Vaughn is yet to indicate if he will return to directorial duties on Kingsman 2. Den of Geek have confirmed that Vaughn is working on the screenplay with Jane Goldman, his fellow scribe on the original. Fox are currently producing a schedule for Vaughn, who has never directed a sequel to his own work, despite being involved in several franchises. Vaughn has also stated that Kingsman 2 wouldn’t be his next movie, and he was likely to schedule another project in-between.
In June, Slash Film held an interview with Vaughn and co-creator Mark Millar. If you haven’t seen Kingsman: The Secret Service, please skip this interview, there are major spoilers ahead.
Vaughn confirmed he was working on the second film.
“Well, the good news is that I’m writing it next door at the moment. If I think I can get the script good enough, then we are making it. So again, stay tuned, but we are doing our damndest to make that happen.”
Mark Millar also gave his thoughts on the sequel, and addressed one major event from the original – the death of Colin Firth’s character. The mentor/mentee relationship shared by Egerton and Firth is the heart and soul of the first movie, and one that propels the film forward. Despite this potential issue, Millar has some ideas up his sleeve.
“Well it could go a couple of ways. I mean there are calls to get Colin [Firth] back and everything. Colin is very interested in doing it. But we haven’t decided yet what the plan is. But, to me I think there’s two possibilities here. You can either go on and make it Lethal Weapon, where you have Colin and Taron [Edgerton] as, you know, two buddies who essentially go out and solve international situations. Or you can make it Ben Kenobi and Luke Skywalker with Colin as the mentor, the teacher who died and the student becomes the master. And then he goes on to greatness.”
So, good news for Kingsman fans. With Millar and Vaughn involved in the scripting process and several actors interested in reprising their roles, Kingsman 2 has the potential to pick up where the original left off.
Kingsman: The Secret Service was a box-office success on release in January and February, in the UK and the U.S., respectively. The film grossed $412.4 million and made a rising star out of Taron Egerton. With an exemplary cast in Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and Mark Hamill, the film was well received by critics, mainly for its tongue-in-cheek portrayal of British culture and the infamous spy movie. With Bond and Bourne taking their work seriously, it was fun to sit back and enjoy the espionage humor on display.
No release date has been confirmed for Kingsman 2, but with production nearing, it’s only a matter of time until the details fall into place.
[Images – 2oth Century Fox]
