Despite a star-studded cast, new espionage action-comedy Argylle from Kingsman and Kick-Ass helmer Matthew Vaughn opened to a disappointing weekend at the box office.
After its big-screen debut on February 2, the movie made $18 million in the US and a total of $35 million globally over the ensuing weekend. By contrast, Vaughn's 2014 spy caper Kingsman: The Secret Service made $36 million just in the US during its opening weekend.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Argylle had a reported budget of between $200 and $250 million (Vaughn has denied this, but hasn't revealed the actual figure). So, although Argylle is still number one at the box office, its current takings have barely made a dent in that hefty budget.
The movie stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway, an author who writes spy novels about Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill). Her life takes a turn when a real spy (Sam Rockwell) comes into her life and she discovers that the events of her books are suddenly bearing an uncanny resemblance to real life. The cast also includes John Cena, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Sofia Boutella, and Ariana DeBose.
Argylle hasn't been a critical hit, either, and the film currently holds a score of 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. "First too slow, then too silly, Vaughn’s well-cast but wayward romp fires off half-baked ideas without the focus needed to make them stick," writes our reviewer.
