Is Argylle based on a book – and is Taylor Swift involved?

At one point, fans thought they'd worked out that pop megastar Taylor Swift was secretly behind the project, which arrives in cinemas just weeks after a mysterious novel of the same name was released in bookstores around the world.

So, what exactly is going on here? Is Argylle the film based on Argylle the book? And how does Swift fit into all of this? Read on for everything you need to know.

Is Argylle based on a book?

Well, the answer to this question is quite complicated.

The script for the film – penned by Jason Fuchs – is an original story that is not based on any existing novel or other source. So far, so simple.

But where things get confusing is when it comes to the lead character of Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who is introduced in the film as a successful spy novelist who has written several entries in the 'Argylle' series

The twist here is that very recently, the first entry in that series was released in the real world – written by an author also named Elly Conway.

The synopsis for the novel reads: "One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it.

"But to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first..."

According to the press notes for the film, the unpublished manuscript for this novel arrived on Matthew Vaughn's desk and led him to conclude that it was "the best spy thriller he had ever read" – and one he wanted to adapt in an unorthodox way.

And so, Argylle the film was born.

Is Taylor Swift involved?

Few details about the Elly Conway who supposedly wrote this novel have been revealed, beyond the fact that she is "born and raised in upstate New York" and that she "wrote her first novel about Agent Argylle while working as a waitress in a late-night diner".

Meanwhile, it quickly became apparent that, as well as there being scant evidence of her existence, it was also not possible to contact her publicist or talent agent.

Due to this mystery regarding her identity, many film fans began to speculate that Elly Conway was in fact the pen name of someone much more famous who had secretly written the novel.

Quickly, one of the names who emerged as a possible author of the book was none other than Taylor Swift.

Many Swifties pointed out a few clues that they believed linked the pop superstar to the project – including a resemblance between a cat seen in the film's trailer and Swift's own pet – and the rumour soon began to gather pace.

However, ahead of the film's release, the theory was shot down by Vaughn himself, who revealed that Swift was not involved in any way.

"It was actually my daughter who came up to me — this is the power of celebrity and the internet — and said, 'You never told me Taylor wrote the book!'" he explained to Rolling Stone.

"And I’m looking at her going, 'What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn’t write the book!'"

He continued: "There is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it’s not Taylor Swift. And I say that because I imagine Taylor Swift has a load of people trying to jump on her bandwagon left, right and centre, and I don’t want to be a part of that club.

"I did read the conspiracies and I was like, 'Wow, they don’t leave a stone unturned!' But it’s not Taylor Swift. She definitely didn’t write the book."

So the answer is no – despite rumours to the contrary, Taylor Swift is not involved in Argylle.

So who is Elly Conway?

As to who the actual Elly Conway is – and if an authour with that name actually exists – it's still very much a mystery.

In an interview with Variety, Vaughn explained: "There is an Elly Conway. I am begging Elly Conway to come out of the shadows because this Taylor Swift thing freaked me out. And it’s going to happen."

Meanwhile, the film's composer, Lorne Balfe, added, "Honestly, I don’t know who she is," although he confirmed that it definitely wasn't Vaughn himself.

Perhaps the real Conway will make herself known after the film is released in UK cinemas. We'll certainly be on the lookout...

Argylle is released in UK cinemas on Friday 2nd February 2024. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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