It looks like the cat is finally out of the bag. The writer Elly Conway is indeed a fictional character and didn’t actually write the new spy film “Argylle” from director Matthew Vaughn (“Layer Cake”) as Universal Pictures and Apple Studios have released the first-look trailer for the upcoming action-comedy revealing the film’s main twist. What Conway (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) writes in her series of spy novels has an odd way of actually happening in the real world which has now caught the attention of various good and bad folks within the spy community including Sam Rockwell‘s Aiden.

Also revealed in the trailer is that the characters played by Henry Cavill and John Cena are actually from her books, and remains to be seen if they’ll ultimately be making the jump to reality. Changes are good though. “Argylle” seems to mix adventure, supernatural, and comedic elements something alien to Vaughn’s second film, “Stardust.” But with a bit of “Romancing The Stone” and “Knight & Day” thrown into the blender.

Another wild tidbit is that the new film hilariously features the real-life cat of Vaughn’s supermodel wife, Claudia Schiffer.

Here is the official logline of the film via Universal:

The greater the spy, the bigger the lie. From the twisted mind of Matthew Vaughn (“Kingsman” franchise, “Kick-Ass”) comes “Argylle” a razor-witted, reality-bending, globe-encircling spy thriller. Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World” franchise) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly’s fictional books—which center on secret agent Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate—begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past. Accompanied by Aiden (Oscar® winner Sam Rockwell), a cat-allergic spy, Elly (carrying Alfie in her backpack) races across the world to stay one step ahead of the killers as the line between Elly’s fictional world and her real one begins to blur. The top-flight ensemble cast features Henry Cavill (“The Witcher”), John Cena (“Fast X”), Oscar® winner Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”), Grammy-winning pop superstar Dua Lipa (“Barbie”), Emmy winner and Oscar® nominee Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Emmy winner and comedy icon Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”), Sofia Boutella (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”), and the legendary Samuel L. Jackson. Alfie is played by Chip, the real-life cat of supermodel Claudia Vaughn (née Schiffer). Argylle is directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn, from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs (“Wonder Woman”).

There’s been chatter about the film potentially becoming a franchise starter for Apple and could lead to multiple installments given the main crux of the film is that Elly can predict various missions and their outcomes. Also, the staggering $200 million Apple reportedly paid to secure the film. Perhaps, she ends up choosing a side or an organization by the end of the film.

“Argylle” will be heading to theaters on February 2 and you can watch that new trailer below.

SOURCE: UNIVERSAL/APPLE