“They don’t have any rights, thank God”: Henry Cavill’s Argylle Director Matthew Vaughn Fired a ‘Professional’ Cat From the Movie, Substituted It With His Daughter’s Pet
Matthew Vaughn rose to international fame for his work on the spy action film series Kingsman, and now, he’s back with another espionage thriller flick starring Superman himself, Henry Cavill. In the latest trailer, fans would have spotted an unlikely companion: a cat.
Argylle centers on a reclusive spy author Elly Conway (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) with her feline friend, Alfie. When the plot of her novel starts mirroring reality, she goes on a globe-trotting adventure with her cat-allergic sidekick Aiden (played by Sam Rockwell).
In an interview with Vanity Fair, director Matthew Vaughn revealed how he fired the professional cat that was originally meant to be part of the film. Fans would have seen an adorable cat in the trailer, and it turns out, it belongs to the filmmaker’s daughter. Vaugh explained:
“What happened the first day of filming, we had a professional, very expensive acting cat that was useless. So, I fired the cat. They don’t have any rights, thank God. And I went home and went up to my daughter’s bedroom and grabbed her cat and said, ‘I’m borrowing this cat for three months.’”
Vaughn admitted that he is not a fan of cats. With all the budget Apple and Universal Pictures had to shell out, he could not make the professional cat do its job. The experience was bizarre, but also an interesting process for the director as he had to bond with his daughter’s cat every day. He further added:
“It was pretty strange to me. It was a little bit of art imitating life because the cat was driving the characters mad. Can you imagine going on an adventure with a cat? But I was on an adventure driving to work every day and sharing my trailer with a f—king cat. At the beginning of this film, I loathed cats. I’m a dog person, really. And by the end of it, I bonded with this little thing. We became friends, so I now love Chip.”
Indeed, Chip deserves to be treated luxuriously after he saved the day and helped make an entire movie production possible.
Matthew Vaughn Promises To Destroy Spy Tropes In Argylle
Matthew Vaughn discussed more about his upcoming film Argylle with Vanity Fair. He admitted his fascination with spies in suits, but reality would not agree with this. The director confessed:
“I’m guilty of handsome spies with great haircuts and wonderfully cut suits. In reality, if you’re a spy, it’s a pretty dumb thing to do. You’re going to be the guy that gets noticed in the room. A good spy should be the person you least expect the spy to be. And that’s what this movie is all about.”
He recalled what James Bond actor Roger Moore once said about “what sort of spy walks into a room, and everyone knows his name and what he likes to drink” and divulged that he had fun shattering these spy movie tropes.
Argylle also stars John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Sofia Boutella, and Samuel L. Jackson. The movie is slated to hit theaters on February 2, 2024.