At a time when gritty realism has become Hollywood’s go-to vibe for spy movies, the Kingsman franchise carved out a unique place for itself with wild, stylized adventures full of highly choreographed action sequences and over-the-top visual effects. After two successful installments, the series is now getting a prequel film, King’s Man, which explores the early years of the secret spy organization.
A new trailer for King’s Man has arrived online, and it offers a deep dive into the events that lead to the creation of the independent intelligence agency Kingsman.
As with previous installments of the franchise, King’s Man is directed, co-written, and produced by Matthew Vaughn. The film casts Ralph Fiennes as Duke of Oxford, who recruits a young soldier played by Harris Dickinson into his fledgling group. They’re joined by Gemma Arterton as Polly and Djimon Hounsou as Shola, and their small team must contend with a group of the world’s most notorious tyrants and criminals as they plot a catastrophic new war.
The trailer also provides another intriguing look at Rhys Ifans as the infamous Grigori Rasputin, as well as a supporting cast that also includes Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Stanley Tucci.
The first trailer for King’s Man was released in July.
The original Kingsman: The Secret Service was inspired by the comic book series of the same name created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. That film was released in February 2015 and became a surprise hit, with stars Taron Egerton and Colin Firth earning considerable praise for their performances. (Firth notably starred in one of the year’s best action sequences for the film.)
The Secret Service was followed in September 2017 by Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which was similarly successful at the box office, despite earning less-positive reviews. A third film that continues the original timeline is currently in the works, as well as a spinoff film Statesman, which will follow the American counterpart to Kingsman introduced in The Golden Circle. An eight-hour limited series is also in development for television.
King’s Man is scheduled to hit theaters February 14, 2020.
