Those Taylor Swift Easter-egg rumors didn’t help “Argylle” any at the box office, but director Matthew Vaughn felt more dismayed by the film‘s “vitriolic” reviews than he did the ticket sales, according to a new interview with Empire.
Vaughn said that he was shocked by just how big of a flop the spy-adventure comedy was on a critical level.
“It’s a fun, feel-good movie, or I thought it was a fun, feel-good movie,” Vaughn said. “We didn’t make ‘Citizen Kane,’ but fucking hell, then the reviews came out and I’m like, ‘Wait, what have I done to offend these people?’ They were vitriolic.”
Vaughn added, “I’m not saying the movie’s perfect by any means, but I didn’t think it was offensive. That took me by surprise.”
The director recalled “fantastic” audience test-screenings prior to the film’s January 2024 release. The feature starred Bryce Dallas Howard as a novelist who becomes caught up in a real, stranger-than-fiction case. Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena co-starred.
“My guard came down on ‘Argylle.’ We had done test screenings that had gone fantastically well,” Vaughn said. “The premiere was a really fun night, and it was like going back to the ‘Snatch’ days where there was such excitement. And I started drinking the Kool-Aid.”
After the reviews were released, Vaughn returned to theaters to witness audiences’ reactions in real time.
“I even went round to cinemas because I thought, ‘Maybe I’ve lost the plot now,’” he added. “It did rattle me. I’m genuinely scratching my head about that, because you can’t ignore it. It wasn’t like [just] a few bad reviews.”
“Argylle” went on to stream on Apple TV+. He’s happy with its performance there, and Vaughn feels re-inspired to direct a follow-up film.
“We’re doing very well on streaming. People are liking it. Nothing would make me happier than making another one,” he said. “I’m getting texts saying, ‘Wow, those reviews were fucking harsh!’ The more we can get people to watch ‘Argylle,’ the more chance we make another one. I’d love to make another one, we’ve got it planned.”
Of the poor reviews, Vaughn concluded, “It is what it is. You learn from these things.”
