‘Argylle’ director denies theory around Taylor Swift’s involvement in upcoming spy movie
Matthew Vaughn, the director of upcoming spy action comedy movie, Argylle, has denied the theory that Taylor Swift is responsible for the book on which the movie is based.
On January 9, a novel titled Argylle was released, written by a pseudonymous author going by the name Elly Conway. The book involves a spy novelist who gets roped into the world of espionage, assassins and feuds, all accompanied by her cat, Alfie.
The book has been adapted into a movie with an ensemble cast, featuring Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bryce Dallas Howard in the role of Elly.
But some fans of Swift have been theorising that the mysterious novel was written by the US singer. The theory is based on Swift’s history of wearing argyle sweaters, her beloved cats of the same breed as Elly’s, among other common details.
Perhaps the most obvious connection is the cat backpack featured in the Argylle trailer, which is similar to the one worn by Swift in the 2020 documentary, Miss Americana, as the international star transports her pets around the world with her.
But Vaughn, who also wrote, directed and produced the Kingsman franchise, has denied the conspiracy theory, and Swift’s involvement in the project.
Speaking to Rolling Stone he said: “I’m not a big internet guy, and it was actually my daughter who came up to me — this is the power of celebrity and the internet — and said, ‘You never told me Taylor wrote the book!’”
And I’m looking at her going, ‘What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn’t write the book!’ And I was laughing because I was like, ‘It’s not true! She didn’t write the book!’ But my daughter was convinced of it,” he continued.
Nevertheless, he credited the real author of Argylle saying: “There is a real book… and it’s a really good book. And there is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it’s not Taylor Swift.”
However, the link between Swift’s cats and the cat in the movie is still there. Vaughn’s daughters reportedly convinced his wife, Claudia Schiffer, to buy them a Scottish Fold after seeing Swift’s cat in Miss Americana. And it is their cat, Chip, who stars as Alfie in the movie.
He shared: “Ironically, what she is responsible for is the Scottish Fold.”
“I got home one day,” he continued, “It was Christmas, and I was like, ‘What the fuck is that noise?’ And I’m running around the house and I hear a noise, and the kids had seen a Taylor Swift documentary and there was a Scottish Fold in that, and they’d persuaded my wife, Claudia, to get them the kitten for Christmas. It was bought without my permission and hidden from me.”
He concluded: “As crazy as it sounds, that is our only Taylor Swift connection.”
In other news, Swift has congratulated The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach on his Critics Choice Awards win after the actor thanked Swift in his acceptance speech.
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Alex Berry
NME
