Taylor Swift ‘s cats inadvertently inspired the new film Argylle, director Matthew Vaughn has revealed. The singer, 34, whose fans recently speculated was the mystery author behind the spy novel, is a proud owner of three cats – two of which are Scottish Fold felines named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson.
Vaughn, 52, who shares three children with supermodel wife Claudia Schiffer,53, said his daughters brought home a Scottish Fold cat after seeing Taylor’s pets in the 2020 documentary, Miss Americana. He told Rolling Stone Swift was responsible for the hilarious cat character in the film – with his own Scottish Fold Chip taking on the role.
![He said: 'I got home one day, it was Christmas , and I was like, ‘What the [expletive] is that noise? It was bought without my permission and hidden from me. Matthew then clarified that they had originally cast another cat actor, but he simply didn't work out, prompting him to ask his daughter whether he could borrow her cat, Chip, for the role.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/19/17/80197569-12983989-He_said_I_got_home_one_day_it_was_Christmas_and_I_was_like_What_-a-1_1705686261660.jpg)
He said: ‘I got home one day, it was Christmas , and I was like, ‘What the [expletive] is that noise? It was bought without my permission and hidden from me. Matthew then clarified that they had originally cast another cat actor, but he simply didn’t work out, prompting him to ask his daughter whether he could borrow her cat, Chip, for the role.
“That first day of filming with the cat we had — this actor cat — wasn’t really working out, and I literally went to my daughter’s bedroom, because the cat sleeps with her, and I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna borrow the cat.’ And she went, ‘Fine.’ ‘I don’t think she realized it meant for three months. It was odd because he rode to work with me every morning, shared my trailer. But he was great. And he seemed to enjoy it as well. He was a natural. The nepo cat.’
This comes after Vaughn denied a claim that the hitmaker found time between her Eras tour and attending boyfriend Travis Kelce ‘s games to pen a novel, though he did confirm she indirectly inspired the upcoming movie. ‘There is a real book … and it’s a really good book. And there is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it’s not Taylor Swift,’ he clarified. ‘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.’
‘And I say that because I imagine Taylor Swift has a load of people trying to jump on her bandwagon left, right, and center, and I don’t want to be a part of that club.’ The hotly-anticipated film is set for release on February 2, 2024. The plot of the book, said to ‘reinvent the spy genre’, follows the introverted spy novelist called Elly Conway (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) who is drawn into the real world of espionage when the plots of her books get a little too close to the activities of a sinister underground syndicate.
It stars Henry Cavill as the lead Agent Argylle opposite femme fatale Dua Lipa in her feature length acting debut. Apple Original Films has reportedly paid an eye-watering $200 million for it. The film was first announced in June 2021, with a script adapted from the novel before it was even published. ‘When I read this early draft manuscript I felt it was the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming’s books of the 50s. This is going to reinvent the spy genre,’ Vaughn gushed.
But surprisingly little has been shared about Elly – whose name has been spelled interchangeably Ellie and Elly in promotional material. On the Penguin website, Elly’s bio simply reads: ‘She lives in the United States and is currently working on the next installment in the series’. Elly’s Instagram account is empty – she only follows one person – her agent Eric Reid.
Swift is known for leaving ‘Easter eggs’ and clues for her fans in her work, leading many to believe she was hinting that she is Elly Conway. Fans pointed out the resemblance of the cat featured in the film to Taylor’s cats. Ahead of her record-breaking Eras tour, Taylor wore a jumper with ‘Conway Recording Studios’ written on it.
Conway is played in the film by a red haired author. In Taylor’s All Too Well short film, she plays a red haired author. Perhaps the most on the nose, Taylor has often worn argyle over the years – and even sold merch with argyle on. Read the full story:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12980633/Taylor-Swifts-CATS-inspired-movie-Argylle-reveals-director.html?ito=msngallery
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