Argylle: release date, cast, plot and everything we know about the spy movie

Argylle is an upcoming spy movie from Matthew Vaughn. First announced back in 2021, Argylle is based on an as-yet-unpublished spy novel from Elly Conway that revolves around the world's greatest spy as he gets swept up in a globe-trotting adventure.

Apple picked up the exclusive rights to the film in a landmark deal that cost the company $200 million (via Deadline). With reports claiming that Argylle is meant to be the start of a brand new franchise for Apple TV Plus, with this as the first film in a trilogy, Henry Cavill might become a little too busy to stay among the top names in the race to become the next James Bond.

There wasn't much info available about Argylle for a while, but we recently got a confirmed release date and an action-packed trailer that's given us a much clearer picture of what the film's actually about. Here's everything that we know about Argylle so far.

Argylle release date

Apple has officially announced that the spy movie is going to premiere in movie theaters on February 2 before it makes its debut on Apple TV Plus at a later, as yet undetermined date.

Argylle cast

Matthew Vaughn has amassed an all-star cast for Argylle, though we only know the identities of a few characters, including Henry Cavill as the titular spy, Bryce Dallas Howard as the best-selling author of the Argylle novels, Elly Conway, and Sam Rockwell, a cat-allergic spy who protects Elly from her very real foes.

The Argylle cast also includes:

• Bryan Cranston

• Catherine O'Hara

• John Cena

• Samuel L. Jackson

• Ariana DeBose

• Sofia Boutella

• Dua Lipa

Argylle marks Grammy-winner Dua Lipa's major acting debut (barring her cameo role in the Barbie movie), and the singer-songwriter will also be providing some original music for the film's title track and score.

The Argylle site also notes that Alfie, Elly's cat, is played by Chip, the real-life cat of supermodel, Claudia Vaughn (née Schiffer).

Argylle plot — what's Argylle about?

The full synopsis for Argylle reads: "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."

An Observer article claimed that the film's about "a best-selling spy novelist who turns out to be a world-class spy suffering from amnesia," and Vaughn himself claimed that the film's tone is meant to be fun and "sort of a mixture of Die Hard, Romancing the Stone, [and] Lethal Weapon" during a group interview with Collider.

The original Deadline cast announcement also saw Vaughn claim the early draft manuscript for Argylle was "the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming's books of the 50s", adding "This is going to reinvent the spy genre."

Argylle trailer

The Argylle trailer begins by showing us Agent Argylle's adventures, before shifting over to author Elly Conway minding her business on a train ride opposite Aiden, who promptly comes to her aid when she's attacked by some very real enemies. What follows looks like one hell of an explosive adventure that is jam-packed full of famous faces.

You can also find the first teaser from the film below:

How to watch Argylle

Argylle is getting a theatrical release on February 2, 2024, but you'll also be able to stream the film with an Apple TV Plus subscription.

Apple TV Plus costs $6.99/£6.99 a month and gives you access to a range of exclusive shows and movies that have been created or acquired solely for the platform. Big hits include Ted Lasso, Severance, Bad Sisters, and the Oscars 2022 Best Picture winner, CODA. 

If you sign up, don't forget to check out our guide to the best Apple TV Plus shows so you know what you should be watching.

Matthew Vaughn movies

Producer and director Matthew Vaughn already has a number of popular movies under his belt, including several spy thrillers, so Argylle looks to be in good company! Here's a look at the movies he's directed so far:

• Layer Cake (2004)

• Stardust (2007)

• Kick-Ass (2010)

• X-Men: First Class (2011)

• Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

• Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

• The King's Man (2021)