How much did it cost to make Argylle? Henry Cavill’s new spy thriller is worth millions

Henry Cavill’s upcoming spy thriller Argylle is in the news again! The $200 million-worth project recently released its official trailer on September 28, 2023, creating quite a stir on social media.

The film features Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Dua Lipa in lead roles and is helmed by director Matthew Vaughn and written by Jason Fuchs.

You can watch the official trailer for Argylle here:

Premised on the life of Elly Conway, a spy novelist, and her subsequent misadventures when plots of her books begin to replicate in real life, the film is set for a theatrical release on February 2, 2024, in the United States. Following this, the spy thriller film will be made available on Apple TV+ for online streaming.

The official synopsis of the the film reads as:

"Elly Conway, an introverted spy novelist who seldom leaves her home, is drawn into the real world of espionage when the plots of her books get a little too close to the activities of a sinister underground syndicate. When Aiden, a spy, shows up to save her from being kidnapped or killed, Elly and her beloved cat Alfie are plunged into a covert world."

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Argylle (2024): Apple bought the film for $200 million, film to mark Dua Lipa's acting debut

With big names attached to the spy thriller, it is no shocker that the budget for the movie is worth millions. Apple TV+ bought the rights to the film for a whopping $200 million in August 2021, leading to industry talk about the movie's potential as a franchise series.

It is pertinent to mention that director Matthew Vaughn is known for his James Bond-styled movies, which seem to continue with Argylle. Produced for Marv Studios originally, Argylle marks Matthew Vaughn's second collaboration with Apple TV+.

The streaming giant had previously acquired Matthew Vaughn's production Tetris: The Movie, a biopic based on true events around the race to license and patent the video game Tetris from Russia in the late 1980s during the Cold War.

With this, it is clear that Apple's partnership with Argylle is bound with firm faith in Matthew Vaughn's cinematic abilities, which have already worked in their favor.

By the looks of the trailer, the film appears to be the director's ode to 1980s action thrillers like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

Further talking about his collaboration with Apple on Argylle, Matthew Vaughn said:

"I’m thrilled to team with Apple and bring the most compelling spy thriller I’ve ever read to the only streaming service that can create a franchise of this scale and quality for global audiences to experience."

While the financial investment in the project may seem extravagant, it has become a standard widely accepted rate for movie productions comprising an all-star package.

This is because such projects have the potential to become global spy series like 007, entering the film market as completely original projects stacked with a budget aimed at mature audiences.

The film also marks pop singer Dua Lipa's acting debut; she was last seen in a minor cameo role in Greta Gerwig's Barbie. She will also be providing original music for the title track and score of the film.

In addition to her, the film features megastars like Henry Cavill, John Cena, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, etc.

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Argylle will be released on February 2, 2023.