{"id":44934,"date":"2024-01-31T17:49:12","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T16:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1983534"},"modified":"2024-01-31T19:23:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T18:23:30","slug":"is-argylle-based-on-a-book-and-is-taylor-swift-involved","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/is-argylle-based-on-a-book-and-is-taylor-swift-involved\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Argylle based on a book \u2013 and is Taylor Swift involved?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There has been a certain amount of (deliberate) confusion about the source material for Matthew Vaughn’s new film. <\/p>

By Patrick Cremona\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 at 16:49 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Matthew Vaughn\u2019s latest action-comedy Argylle arrives in cinemas this weekend \u2013 and to say the film is shrouded in mystery would be an understatement.<\/p>\n

Not only are cinemagoers eager to find out the identity of the \u201creal Agent Argylle\u201d who is teased in the film\u2019s explosive trailer, but there has also been something of a conspiracy surrounding the movie\u2019s source material.<\/p>\n

At one point, fans thought they\u2019d worked out that pop megastar Taylor Swift was secretly behind the project<\/a>, which arrives in cinemas just weeks after a mysterious novel of the same name was released in bookstores around the world.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly is going on here? Is Argylle the film based on Argylle the book? And how does Swift fit into all of this? Read on for everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

Is Argylle based on a book?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Well, the answer to this question is quite complicated.<\/p>\n

The script for the film \u2013 penned by Jason Fuchs \u2013 is an original story that is not based on any existing novel or other source. So far, so simple.<\/p>\n

But where things get confusing is when it comes to the lead character of Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who is introduced in the film as a successful spy novelist who has written several entries in the \u2018Argylle\u2019 series<\/p>\n

The twist here is that very recently, the first entry in that series was released in the real world \u2013 <\/em>written by an author also named Elly Conway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Dua\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in Argylle.<\/span><\/figcaption> Apple<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The synopsis for the novel reads: \u201cOne Russian magnate\u2019s dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA\u2019s most legendary spymaster, can prevent it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the press notes for the film, the unpublished manuscript for this novel arrived on Matthew Vaughn\u2019s desk and led him to conclude that it was \u201cthe best spy thriller he had ever read\u201d \u2013 and one he wanted to adapt in an unorthodox way.<\/p>\n

And so, Argylle the film was born.<\/p>

Is Taylor Swift involved?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Few details about the Elly Conway who supposedly wrote this novel have been revealed, beyond the fact that she is \u201cborn and raised in upstate New York\u201d and that she \u201cwrote her first novel about Agent Argylle while working as a waitress in a late-night diner\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, it quickly became apparent that, as well as there being scant evidence of her existence, it was also not possible to contact her publicist or talent agent.<\/p>\n

Due to this mystery regarding her identity, many film fans began to speculate that Elly Conway was in fact the pen name of someone much more famous who had secretly written the novel.<\/p>\n

Quickly, one of the names who emerged as a possible author of the book was none other than Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n

Many Swifties pointed out a few clues that they believed linked the pop superstar to the project \u2013 including a resemblance between a cat seen in the film\u2019s trailer and Swift\u2019s own pet \u2013 and the rumour soon began to gather pace.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Argylle.<\/span><\/figcaption> Apple \/ YouTube.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

However, ahead of the film\u2019s release, the theory was shot down by Vaughn<\/a> himself, who revealed that Swift was not involved in any way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was actually my daughter who came up to me \u2014 this is the power of celebrity and the internet \u2014 and said, \u2018You never told me Taylor wrote the book!’\u201d he explained to\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m looking at her going, \u2018What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn\u2019t write the book!’\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cThere is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it\u2019s not Taylor Swift. And I say that because I imagine Taylor Swift has a load of people trying to jump on her bandwagon left, right and centre, and I don\u2019t want to be a part of that club.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did read the conspiracies and I was like, \u2018Wow, they don\u2019t leave a stone unturned!\u2019 But it\u2019s not Taylor Swift. She definitely didn\u2019t write the book.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the answer is no \u2013 despite rumours to the contrary, Taylor Swift is not involved in Argylle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So who is Elly Conway?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As to who the actual Elly Conway is \u2013 and if an authour with that name actually exists \u2013 it\u2019s still very much a mystery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Variety<\/a>, Vaughn explained: \u201cThere is an Elly Conway. I am begging Elly Conway to come out of the shadows because this Taylor Swift thing freaked me out. And it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the film\u2019s composer, Lorne Balfe, added, \u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t know who she is,\u201d although he confirmed that it definitely wasn\u2019t Vaughn himself.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the real Conway will make herself known after the film is released in UK cinemas. We\u2019ll certainly be on the lookout\u2026<\/p>\n