Fans in for treat as Kingsman sequel comes to China
One of the most popular Hollywood espionage franchises in China, Kingsman — the secret spy organization based on the Mark Millar-Dave Gibbons comic — is back.
The upcoming sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle will hit Chinese mainland theaters on Friday.
The first movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service, was a commercial success in China, when it raked in nearly 490 million yuan ($74.5 million) in 2015 and obtained a score of up to 8.4 points out of 10 on the country’s popular film review site Douban.
For the franchise’s director Matthew Vaughn, his expectation is “not to let the Chinese audience down”.
The new film begins with Kingsman’s London headquarters being destroyed by a deranged drug lord, who poisons hundreds of millions of people to force the United States to accept her business as a legal entity.
Then Kingsman, in alliance with Statesman, a Kentucky-based spy organization and the US equivalent of Kingsman, and the hooligan-turned-superhero Eggsy Unwin, played by British actor Taron Egerton, team up to stop the criminal.
The new movie has a lot of American elements, including cowboy-style Statesman members and the drug lord’s Cambodia base that looks like the 1950s US.
The sequel has been released in many countries since September.
Meanwhile, some movie critics say the American elements may take the shine off the franchise, which once stood out for its focus on British etiquette.
“Kingsman is a celebration of British culture. But we thought it would be fun to expand it to the universe,” says Vaughn, explaining the featuring of American culture.
“In the future we may find another culture to celebrate. It may be China,” says Vaughn, also known for Kick Ass (2010) and X-Men: First Class (2011).
His view is reflected in his attire.
During an interview with China Daily in Shanghai, the 46-year-old director wears a typical Chinese suit, which he says is made by the film’s tailor.
Vaughn also explains the difference between Kingsman and traditional British espionage movies, such as the James Bond series.
British culture has a sense of humor, which is quite unique, he says, adding that he wanted to put that humor into the films. Kingsman is about escaping reality to have two hours of fun in cinemas. It’s a fun movie with a lot of action, he says. James Bond movies are more serious to him.
But for Chinese fans, many of whom watched the livestreamed Shanghai promotional event online on Oct 12, star power seems the major attraction for now.
With the super villain played by Hollywood actress Julianne Moore, who took home Oscar’s best actress award for Still Alice (2014), the cast of The Golden Circle has five Academy Awards winners. The others are Colin Firth, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges and Elton John.
“My hope is that the Chinese who have watched the first movie will watch this second installment and enjoy it,” says the director.
Besides the Hollywood big names, the new film again highlights its most alluring elements: suave spies in bespoke suits and high-tech weapons.
In an interview alongside Mark Strong, the English actor who plays Merlin, Egerton — who will turn 28 this November — says his favorite device is a suitcaselike gadget that can transform into a bullet-proof shield and a powerful gun.
Egerton also says his character is more responsible and committed in the new tale, as Eggsy “wants to maintain a healthy relationship with the girl he loves”.
In the film, things are different for Eggsy, but no less complicated, says Egerton, who is also known in China for the sports-themed biographical drama Eddie the Eagle.
Before the first Kingsman movie, Egerton was a lesserknown star. But Kingsman: The Secret Service gave him fame, and paved the way for him to play the lead in Eddie the Eagle, in which he stars with Hugh Jackman.
“It (the first Kingsman movie) completely changed my life,” says Egerton, wearing a big smile.