Kingsman 2 Release Date, Trailer, Cast, Story Details & More

Kingsman: The Golden Circleis one of our very most anticipated films of 2017, andi t’s almost here. Granted, super spies are everywhere in media now, and they always arrive with a list of expectations. The gadgets, the guns, and, depending how reticent one is to 21st century political correctness, the girls. But whether it is Mission: Impossible‘s Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne, they all feel a little bit like they’re chasing Bond.

Perhaps that is why Kingsman is such a refreshing alternative. Unlike almost every other spy thriller out there, director Matthew Vaughn and his writing partner Jane Goldman embraced the 00-ness of it all, and out-bonded Bond in the year of Spectre by going back to the swinging ‘60s vibrancy that birthed the titular evil organization while making something totally new.

During its release, we said Kingsman was like a modern day Sean Connery era or Roger Moore Bond movie that was rated R, turned up to 11, and snorting cocaine. And that still feels like a mighty wonderful thing. Hence the excitement for Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which is almost here.

There is plenty of information out there, and we’re going to collect it for you all in one spot. So straighten your tie, put on your best loafers, and make a proper martini while glancing at an unopened bottle of vermouth while we dig into what to expect.

Kingsman 2 Trailer

Unsurprisingly, things are looking grim in the Kingsman: The Golden Circle trailer for Eggsy, Merlin, Roxy and the rest of the Kingsmen group. But for us moviegoers, it appears to be an absolute ball! The kind where Channing Tatum shows up as a guntoting cowboy, Julianne Moore is sneering as a delicious villain, and there is enough gonzo R-rated mayhem to make comic book fans gleeful.

Here’s a brand new red band trailer!

Oh, and it has Harry Hart. Throw in Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” and you get the most stylish piece of comic book movie marketing you’re sure to see this season, old sport.

Kingsman 2 Release Date

The release of Kingsman: The Golden Circle continues to fluctuate like the minute plans of a spy mission. Previously, we were expecting to slip into something a little more formal with the Matthew Vaughn sequel in June, and then more recently October. It appears that 20th Century Fox now wishes to split the difference and will be releasing the film on Sept. 22, 2017!

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Cast

Of course, just as much as the finely tailored suits, the most crucial aspect of the original might have been the casting. Taron Egerton became a star overnight, landing the titular role in Robin Hood: Origins after it opened, and the benefit of supporting work by Mark Strong, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella, and most especially Colin Firth cannot be underestimated. However, most of those other players are obviously forced to be MIA after their characters (sans Strong) died violently onscreen, right? Well, not exactly.

As early as the weekend of release, director Matthew Vaughn teased USA Today that despite being shot in the head, Colin Firth’s distinguished Harry Hart could be reporting for duty yet again. Stating, “A lot of people are very upset that Colin might not be in the sequel, but I’m coming up with ideas at the moment. If people buy tickets in America, I’ve got a feeling we’ll figure out a way for having Colin back.” While Vaughn, Goldman, and the rest played coy ever since that tease about Firth’s return, it was confirmed by Egerton himself on Twitter when he revealed the rather marvelous poster below, which for the record explains how Harry could come back in the first place.

— Taron Egerton (@TaronEgerton) April 7, 2016

Yep, it would seem those glasses were bullet proof. And hey, Jackson’s Valentine didn’t bother to look back or make sure the bullet when in the forehead, as opposed to bouncing off unbreakable glass. His mistake. It really appears to be as Mark Twain would famously quipped: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Below is also another Egerton image, this one from Instagram, of Harry and Eggsy reunited.

Still beyond Harry Hart, we also know that Mark Strong is returning as Merlin, and Sophie Cookson is also reprising the role of Roxy. It is currently unclear how large a role Roxy will have in the sequel, however we hope it is bigger than in the first movie, just to continue to skewer and subvert the Bond formula and audience expectations.

However, as the definitely film follows Eggsy and Merlin going West, we have a slew of new characters to look forward to. For instance, it was revealed in February 2016 that Julianne Moore was closing the deal to play the villain of the piece. More precisely, Moore is Poppy, a notorious criminal mastermind. Halle Berry will meanwhile be playing Ginger, one of the top members of the Statesmen, the Kingsman’s American counterpoint and an erstwhile ally to Eggsy and Merlin. One of her top agents will also be played by Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal. The former Prince of Dorne now plays Agent Whiskey, a Statesman agent with a pretty on-the-nose name for the type of personality that would accompany a big damn American hero. Appropriately, Jack has been described as a “swaggering, sharpshooting cowboy.” Finally, a slew of intriguing castings choices have also included Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Vinnie Jones, and… Elton John?! It is currently unclear how large any of these roles are, but Bridges’ character has been described as the head of the Statesmen, leading us to openly wonder if there is discord amongst the yanks, similar to that found between Harry and Michael Caine’s Arthur in the first film. Incidentally, Ginger seems to be pegged as the ultimate leader of the group in the movie. Elton John’s mysterious part has also been described as a “key role.”

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Plot and Synopsis Details

Currently, Vaughn and company have made no secret that the film is about finding a counterpoint of the Kingsman in the U.S. Vaughn even cited that concept, as well as figuring out who the villain would be, as what drew him back into a sequel. Famously, Matthew Vaughn resisted doing either a sequel to Kick-Ass or X-Men: First Class, however Vaughn has since stated that the key for him was figuring out Julianne Moore’s Poppy. In an interview he did with Empire, Vaughn said, “I didn’t know if I wanted to direct this or not. I was worried about the villain. Spy films are only as good as their villains. Then one morning, I woke up with the whole storyline in place, and a new villain plot.” We have since learned that the reason for the Kingsmen to be in the U.S. is because their HQ from the first film will be blown up, likely due to the machinations of Poppy. The official synopsis is below:

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), two British spies, travel to the United States to join forces with their American counterparts.

Our friends over at Den of Geek UK had the chance to sit down with Taron Egerton to discuss the UK release of Sing this week, so of course we had to bring up Kingsman: The Golden Circle. And intriguingly, Egerton spoke fairly openly about the opportunities for political satire by setting the sequel in the U.S. After all, the first film both mocked the legitimate fears of over-population on the left and in academia, and the most extreme, far-right rhetoric when it had Harry Hart shoot up a hate-mongering church in Kentucky. About how that degree of extreme satire could continue in the sequel, Egerton said: 

I think it very much is political. I think I can say there’s a ‘presidential’ thread that runs through the new film. I think that, each time, whenever there’s a new global threat that arises in the world of Kingsman, it will be something that may have genuine relevance. In the first one, I guess we could say it’s over-population, and in this one, it’s a similarly pertinent global theme. But I think you’re right. It’s a warped, distorted presentation of politics, but I think the themes are definitely there.

You can read the full interview here.

In addition to the new photos you can see in the gallery above, we have some new insights into Kingsman: The Golden Circlevia Entertainment Weekly. The story info is particularly interesting in how it plays up the ensemble elements of the sequel. Star Taron Egerton called the film an Avengers to Kingsman’s Captain America, adding:

For the first one, I felt like if I wasn’t really good then it wouldn’t work. This time, the story still unfolds through my eyes but this is still a true ensemble piece. And also, I’ve had a bit more experience. I’m not asking the crew what every piece of camera equipment does.

Director Matthew Vaughn seems very conscious of wanting to do something different for Kingsman 2, saying: “Just doing a sequel, you’re kind of violating that promise of originality. Sequelitis is a plague I have no interest in contracting.” Sounds good to us. Now we’ll have to wait and see if Vaughn’s ambitions come through in the execution. Frankly, at this point, Vaughn has earned our faith.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Production Photos

Kingsman: The Golden Circle shot in Leavesden Studios outside of London. While we have yet to see official images from the production, we have gotten a good look at some of the production photos, which you can feast your eyes on below. We’re talking Poppy’s evil lair, the destruction of Kingsman HQ, and even what looks like a London cab turned submarine, a la The Spy Who Loved Me. These images are courtesy of Empire via JoBlo.