Fox is rolling full steam ahead with plans for a sequel to directorMatthew Vaughn’s surprise box office hitKingsman: The Secret Service. The studio is planning an April 2016 start date forKingsman 2with breakout starTaron Egertonreturning in the lead, but there’s one small problem – Egerton’s already landed the lead in Lionsgate’sRobin Hood: Origins, which is looking to begin a lengthy production in February that would see a a schedule conflict for Egerton.
Fox already has a sequel option for Egerton, so they’re first in line for the actor’s time, but what they don’t have is a script, puttingRobin Hood: Originsfurther along in pre-production. It seems the studios are in a bit of a tug-of-war over the up-and-coming actor. Fortunately for Egerton, who’s looking at the opportunity to lead two major franchises,THRreports that insiders believe “things will be worked out”.
Seems like Fox is making moves to ensure Egerton’s availability, and possibly gunning to lock in a date that works for Vaughn, who is locked in to pen the script, but hasn’t yet committed to return as director. Vaughn is currentlyset to direct an adaptionof the best-selling spy novelI am Pilgrimfor MGM at some point in 2016, so the sudden haste could be a result of trying to make those puzzle pieces work. If Vaughn does return, it will mark his first time at the helm of a sequel.
While Egerton’s Eggsy is a lock to return forKingsman 2no matter when production ultimately begins, the big question on fans minds is ifColin Firth’s Harry Hart will be re-worked into the story. Not much is known about Kingsman 2, though Vaughn previously commented that it would show that where Harry Hart was the old incarnation of a gentleman spy, Eggsy is the modern man’s version. Vaughn also said it might include an American version of the Kingsman, and that he was trying to “reinvent how to do a sequel”
