The Kingsman movies are a purposeful mix of classic and contemporary Britain – a mishmash of old and new, Taron Egerton’s unruly modern London kid Eggsy being drawn into a James Bond-esque spy institution, steeped in tradition. But now the series is going fully historical with a World War I-set prequel. Titled The King’s Man, and formerly known as Kingsman: The Great Game, it will detail the origins of the espionage agency, with a starry cast and a whole new First World War aesthetic. Watch the first trailer here.
This initial trailer leans heavily into the film’s wartime setting, playing into the iconography of 100 years ago – all gas masks, muddy trenches, and going over the top on the battlefield. But the end of the trailer connects that new tone with the Kingsman we already know, returning to the Savile Row shop that started it all.
As for that stellar cast, the trailer dishes out no character names but does tease a familiar dynamic – Ralph Fiennes takes the lead here, as the distinguished older gentleman who takes a young soldier, played by Harris Dickinson, under his wing. The up-and-coming British actor is best known for his roles in Beach Rats, YA sci-fi The Darkest Minds, and Danny Boyle-produced John Paul Getty drama Trust. It seems these two might be the new equivalent of Harry Hart and Eggsy Unwin. We get a brief glimpse of a gun-toting Gemma Arterton and a knife fight with Djimon Hounsou, while the unseen cast included Charles Dance, Daniel Brühl, Tom Hollander, Matthew Goode, and more.
The spin-off is once again helmed by director Matthew Vaughn and written by Jane Goldman – and will be followed up by another Kingsman film to cap off the Harry-Eggsy trilogy. The King’s Man will hit UK cinemas on 14 February 2020.