Matthew Vaugh presented his new film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle at MK2 Grand Palais on September 28. Just Focus was present in the room and here is what our editors were able to collect during this Q&A. (only spoiler on the penultimate question)
Q: This is your first sequel as a director. What inspired you to expand the Kingsman universe?
A: I was born in the 70s. At that time, we went to see horror movies, science fiction, comedies, dramas… To escape. We are like a family, making movies. We were really thinking about continuing the story of each character. In this business, most sequels, especially in Hollywood, have a single financial purpose. Producers want to earn from the agent. We opted for the entertainment card. Keep the course of the first, the same lightness. While having fun shooting it!
Q: This is the first time a Prince song has been used in film. Obtaining the rights must have been tough.
A: Very rough indeed! I'm a big fan of Prince and the news of his death took me to the guts! Basically, the opening scene was supposed to be like Eggsy's top 10 worst musical tastes. We realized that Tim Miller had already played on this effect in Deadpool during the fight scenes in the cars.So we abandoned the idea. When Prince died, I listened to his music with nostalgia and I thought that Let's Go Crazy would fit my scene perfectly! The song is structured in three parts, something convenient to climb in. I called Warner, they saw the scene and told me that for a premiere, Prince would be proud…
Q: How did you manage to find the same offbeat tone of the first film?
A: Making a sequel is very complicated. The public wants more than in the previous one. And if you give too much they complain that you didn't give him enough in the first one…. So I decided that Kingsman: The Golden Circle would be the continuation of the characters' journey. The characters were my primary motivation for making this sequel. I prefer to call it "continuation". Mark Millar worked on the first cut of the film. His wise and creative eye helped us a lot afterwards. His proposals for change were relevant.
Q: It's the fashion for superhero opposition in cinema. Will we ever see Kick-Ass v.s Kingsman?
A: Silence. Kick-Ass will probably need a costume! Laughter. My way of working is like organized chaos. Never say never! Maybe one day I'll wake up thinking it would be fun to have Kick-Ass, Kingsman, why not Magneto in the same movie… You are never sure of anything.
Q: Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain in the first film. How can we do better than him?
A: I always thought it was a big mistake to want to do better. Many suites are intended to be bigger, more expensive. No no. You just have to tell the right story. For Kingsman: The Golden Circle I can't remember where the idea came from. I loved the militant side of Sam Jackson. He is a villain who fights against overpopulation, which is a problem of contemporary society. His solution is immoral, but he has identified the problem. I started on that basis, a villain who cares about the scourges of our society. Kingsman: The Golden Circle talks about the legalization of drugs, and anyone will have their opinion on the subject. Initially, I wanted a character close to Margaret Thatcher. The hamburger scene allows us to present it to the public. From a personal point of view, I find women fascinating! They can be playful, beautiful and gentle and incredibly strong at the same time. Poppy is the strongest character in the film!
Q: How does it feel to make one of the most anticipated films of the year?
A: It's terrifying, and very flattering at the same time. Again I try to say to myself "ok, I want to make this movie, and I'm incredibly lucky to get paid to do it". I respect the fact that people are eager to make movies. But if it's just to make a movie, it's not worth it. The musicians call it the second album syndrome. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the film will find its audience.
Q: What can you tell us about your handling of violence? Do you set a limit not to be exceeded?
A: You won't believe me, but I hate violent movies. Really. My inspiration for violence is Tom & Jerry! It's incredibly violent! Everything is beautifully choreographed and the result is very funny. It is this violence that I admire: telling a story, making people laugh and unrealistic scenes! I'll probably let myself be tempted one day, I'll take one of my scenes, change the music, put a ton of blood and gore into it. And then people will be able to say that I make violent films! Laughter.
Q: Why make the Kingsman sequel and not the Kick-Ass sequel ?
A: long silence. For Kick-Ass I thought someone else could do it and I realize I was wrong. I don't blame the director, Jeff Wadlow. It is obvious that I am a little crazy and that reproducing my twisted mind is easier said than done. Going back to the violence, in Kick-Ass 2, I was rather disgusted, it did not make me laugh. I felt guilty. Guilty of abandoning Mark Millar, the cast and the fans. I didn't want to repeat my mistake on the Kingsman sequel. For each film proposed I always found a reason not to do it. When I can't find any, I know I have to go for it!
Q: Can you explain Colin Firth's return?
A: First of all I am saddened and angry that his return is no longer a surprise. It was supposed to be a twist and the producers made it public, unfortunately. We could have done without him for the future. But it wouldn't have been the same. When I started writing with Jane Goldman, he wasn't in the script but it quickly seemed weird. The Kingsman without Colin is like the Beatles without Paul McCartney. Colin is a very good friend of mine and I love his character. With Jane, we started experimenting with the concept of her return and then the idea of alpha gel quickly appeared. Now it had to stick. It reminds me of the Dallas series with Bobby Ewing – you have Dallas in France? we get old you know – and when he comes back after the shower scene, we realize it was Pamela's dream. I thought it was devilishly stupid! But we are so happy to see him again that we ignore it.
Q: Was the turnover between the actors and stuntmen difficult?
A: It depends on the actors. Taron took a nasty blow during the taxi sequence, twice. When Charlie hits him through the glass, it's all real. Fortunately the point was made! It is a delicate balance to be maintained. You take Tom Cruise doing all the stunts himself and now he's broken his ankle. Some actors want to do everything. And it's great and challenging at the same time. Others will rely on stuntmen. During the stunts you continue to tell a story, you are in the performance. Hitting someone is as important as reciting dialogue. I'm more of the type to encourage actors to do the most without resorting to stuntmen, as long as there is no risk and they are confident.
Q: To continue on the actors, did they undergo any special training?
A: Oh yes yes! Laughter. Ask them, they kept complaining! We trained for three months. This kind of action cannot be improvised on the same day. Camera movements are prepared well in advance. We first filmed the entire sequence with the stuntmen. The actors learned every move, every cut. There was breakage and they had to train as well to learn not to hurt themselves. For example, Colin had to leave the set for five days because of an injury. He couldn't walk. The sequence where he runs and the dog bites his leg he fell on a keel. It wasn't planned in the script, he just had to run.Except he fell and twisted his elbow. It turns out that it looked good to the image and we kept it.
Q: Did you know that Kingsman would enter today's pop culture?
A: No! It takes a lot of arrogance to think that way. Kingsman exceeded all our expectations. When we made the film, we hoped to raise $150 million worldwide. That was the goal (note: for a budget of $94 million). For this one the objective is set at 243 million (note : for a budget of 104 million dollars)… and maybe 400 for the last one. We were all pleasantly surprised by the reception of the public for the first part. It's always nice to know that there are people in the world who appreciate the universe as much as we do.
Q : What would you change in this film?
A: Give me two years! The first mistake is in the first edit. It was 3h40! This is the first time this has happened to me. We cut about 45 minutes of really great scenes. Personally, I thought the film could be six to ten minutes shorter. We cut ten minutes and it looked like the movie was an hour too long now! It didn't make sense anymore. In two years, I will have time to see what could have been better in this film. Ask me the same question if we do Kingsman 3. And I will answer you.
Q: Could we consider a Kingsman 3 ? (spoiler)
A: Again, I would like character development. At the end of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Eggsy becomes a prince, what will become of him? Channing is now a Kingsman but still wears his cowboy boots. He is confused, does not understand what is happening to him, because he has been punished in a way. Halle Berry is now Agent Whiskey, a whole new adventure is offered to her. Someone will have to take Merlin's place, and that's a huge hole to fill. And then Galahad, the old version and the new version… But if someone guesses what's next, I'd be depressed. Laughter.
Q: All the characters of the American Statesman have a pseudonym in reference to alcohol, what would yours be?
A: Mine? Laughter. It's going to sound crazy, because it's very English: Agent Cherry!
The entire interview was not transcribed. At the request of the director, some information will not be revealed to keep a certain mystery around the film. We leave you with the official trailer. In theaters October 11th! Just Focus loved it!
