The Kingsmen are Back, Some Even from the Dead

by thecowl.ae on May 4, 2017


Arts & Entertainment


Photo courtesy of digitalspy.com

 

By Kerry Torpey ’20

A&E Staff

 

Millions of fans of the worldwide box office hit Kingsman: The Secret Service woke up happy on April 24 with the release of the first official trailer for the sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Although it is a small glimpse of what to expect in the film, fans were shocked to see actor Colin Firth, whose character died in the first installment, alive and well.

In 2015, 20th Century Fox released Kingsman: The Secret Service. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the film featured the star-studded cast of Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine, all of whom made the movie a huge success and attracted a large fan base.

The  film  follows Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Egerton), who becomes a part of a secret British spy organization called the “Kingsman.” With Harry Hart (Firth) as his mentor and guide, Eggsy finds himself on a mission to save the world from evil genius mastermind Richmond Valentine, played by Jackson.

With a total of $414 million made at the box office worldwide, there was no doubt a sequel would be made following the success of the first installment. Vaughn, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jane Goldman, announced that they started writing the sequel only four months after the U.S. release in February.

The Kingsman: The Golden Circle trailer begins with the voice of Harry Hart narrating what sounds like a personal letter to Eggsy. He explains that “Being a Kingsman is more than the clothing we wear or the weapons we bag. Its about being willing to sacrifice for the greater good.”

Shortly after, what appears to be a missile blows up the Kingsmen headquarters. A synopsis of the film says, “When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, [the Kingsmen’s] journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the U.S. called Statesmen…these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.”

There are a lot of familiar faces and characters in the trailer beyond Eggsy. Mark Strong reprised his role as the agent Merlin. Sophie Cookson, who plays Eggsy’s friend and fellow Kingsman Roxy, also makes an appearance in the trailer.

By  far  the most shocking reveal is that of Firth’s character, Harry Hart, who was killed in the first film. Fans see Hart shaving in front of a mirror with an eyepatch on. This revelation is definitely causing a lot of anticipation amongst fans and critics.

The sequel also includes a solid list of new characters played by some of Hollywood’s favorites. Julianne Moore stars as Poppy, who is the primary antagonist and associated with a secret organization called “The Golden Circle.” Jeff Bridges appears as Champagne “Champ,” who is the head of the U.S. spy organization, the Statesmen. Halle Berry plays Ginger, a member of the Statesmen’s tech support. Actors Channing Tatum and Pedro Pascal star as Statesmen Agents Tequila and Whiskey.

The official release date for Kingsman: The Golden Circle is September 22, 2017.