Apple is ready to open its wallet nice and wide as it prepares to purchase Matthew Vaughn's spy thriller Argylle. The deal will set Apple up with the worldwide rights to the film, which Vaughn will direct and produce through his MARV production studio. According to Deadline, the arrangement will cost Apple $200 million.
Vaughn already has an A-list cast lined up, with Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa set to star. In addition to making her acting debut in the film, Dua Lipa will also provide music for the title track and score.
The concept is based on the upcoming spy novel Argylle by author Ellie Conway. It follows “the world’s greatest spy,” Argylle, as he is caught up in a globe-trotting adventure. Argylle will be the first in at least three films, with the adventure taking place in America, London, and other parts of the world.
Vaughn, who introduced spy thriller fans to his Kingsman film franchise, will direct from a script by Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman). Adam Bohling and David Reid, who've already collaborated with Vaughn on several film projects, will produce alongside Fuchs. Additionally, Carlos Peres, Claudia Vaughn, and Adam Fishbach will serve as executive producers.
“When I read this early draft manuscript I felt it was the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming’s books of the 50s. This is going to reinvent the spy genre,” Matthew Vaughn said in a bold statement.
While $200 million might seem like a steep price tag, I'll remind you just how cutthroat the streaming wars have become in recent times. Everyone wants a slice of the next big thing, and if Apple didn't open its coffers as wide as they did, someone else would have snatched Argylle up lickety-split. It's the price of doing business for a project that is ready to hit the ground running and a star-studded one at that. Pony up, Apple!