Nowadays superhero movies are just about everywhere. With three shared universes regularly releasing blockbusters, it's easy for some comic book performances to fall by the wayside. But that wasn't the case when the original 1978 Superman movie hit theaters. The genre didn't really exist yet, and the performances in the film are still beloved and iconic today. In fact, they were so influential that Julianne Moore actually channeled some of Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor for her role in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Moore plays the villainous Poppy in the upcoming action flick, and she recently revealed how Hackman's performance influenced her portrayal. She said,
He and Valerie Perrine were in this basement just acting like regular people. But they were super villains. And they were so funny, so so funny. So I was kind of inspired by that.
Touche, Julianne Moore. While modern superhero movies so often have a problem with villains, keeping the character of Poppy "regular" and amping up the comedy will no doubt make her a scene stealer when Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrives in theaters this month.
Julianne Moore's comment from The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon is yet another reason to be excited for her role in the anticipated Kingsman sequel. The franchise has a penchant for creating quirky villains who are equally hilarious as they are terrifying. In the first film, this honor went to Samuel L. Jackson's Richmond Valentine. While a scary crime boss who was more than willing to kill, Jackon's portrayal also gave him a lisp that kept the character relatable and funny.
Poppy in The Golden Circle goes for a different approach. A drug lord hiding in the middle of a jungle, Poppy creates an old fashioned American Utopia, and has all of the charm that accompanies her hideout. From the trailers, we see how Poppy seems to always have a smile on her face, despite her plot to completely destroy the Kingsman and eliminate any chance of defeat. We'll just have to wait and see if her performance is as spectacular as Samuel L. Jackson's in the first film.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle will once again revolve around newcomer spy Eggsy (Taron Egerton). While working as a full blown member of the Kingsman, Poppy attacks the headquarters and basically destroys the organization altogether. As such, Eggsy will have to depend on their American counterparts, the Statesman for assistance in battling Poppy's scheme. This will usher in a ton of new characters played by the likes of Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, and Pedro Pascal. Also, Elton John somehow factors into the plot.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle will arrive in theaters on September 22nd. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
