As a director, Matthew Vaughn hasn’t really given us any great movies so much as he’s created some pretty great moments within okay movies. Layer Cake is the most rewatchable of his four films, and mostly for the acting. The actors are generally what keep his films alive, and there’s no denying that truly great performers keep working with him. Now that casting has begun on The Secret Service, Vaughn’s upcoming adaptation of Mark Millar and Dave Gibbon’s comic series, the first example of his killer casting abilities has shown itself.
Latino Review reports Colin Firth will lend his Oscar winning thespianism to The Secret Service in one of the film’s lead roles. Firth, who is currently starring in the BitTorrent-sponsored dramedy Arthur Newman, is usually the quintessential Brit in the films he stars in – genially stoic and romantic without bullshit attached – so this will be a welcome step or two outside his wheelhouse.
The Secret Service, scripted by Vaughn and frequent co-writer Jane Goldman, will follow Firth as a British MI6 spy of the Bond variety who enrolls his slacker nephew from the hood into a spy school in an effort to clean him up and set his life straight. And his effort includes quite a bit of an iron fist. Obviously, the story involves Mark Hamill getting kidnapped, as well as a Ridley Scott cameo and a whole host of other wacky shit. While Hamill confirmed his appearance long ago, there’s still no word on Scott, but that’s hardly a real issue. With Firth up front, Vaughn really needs to find a solid young actor to complement the character. If only Aaron Paul were a few years younger.
Filming is set to begin in August for The Secret Service, with a scheduled release date of November 14, 2014. For your next Firth fix, he will be starring in the West Memphis Three drama Devil’s Knot.
