Twentieth Century Fox, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImageIt's time to pay attention to Channing Tatum.
Okay, kidding. Obviously the entire world is glued to every single thing he does. What really deserves its time in the sun is the movie that Tatum just signed onto: Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Unless you've been on a trans-Atlantic flight lately, you're probably wondering just what the heck that is. (And in case you didn't catch that, we highly recommend viewing the flick's predecessor on your next trip; it's perfect plane viewing material and far better than whatever rom-com monstrosity it's up against).
The Golden Circle is the follow up to the 2014 sleeper hit Kingsman: The Secret Service. Rumors have been swirling about the sequel for awhile now, and Channing just made his casting official in the most appropriate way possible—by tweeting "I'm about to get all up in that golden circle." Yeah you are.
I'm about to get all up in that Golden Circle. #Kingsman pic.twitter.com/LqCPJ6monO
? Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) April 14, 2016
We've been on the Kingsman bandwagon for ages, but now that the ever-popular Tatum has joined the squad it's high time to give this franchise the props it deserves. The premise is thus: Colin Firth is a 007-style secret agent in London who recruits a working-class kid (played by Taron Egerton) to join a super intense and badass training camp. Of course there is an evil henchman whose plot to destroy the world must be foiled, and along the way there are sorts of awesome stunts and more British humor than we could ever hope for.
Think Mission Impossible, but a Mission Impossible that doesn't take itself seriously at all. A little refresher in the form of the movie's original trailer:
And in case all of those scenes of hot Brits using weapons wasn't enough to convince you that this is a sequel to pay attention to, let's discuss further.
Colin Firth. There is literally nothing this man can't do, not the least of which is turn any film into the most enjoyable 90-to-120-minutes of your life. The role of spy suits him so well (almost as well as the bumbling Uncle Jamie trying to learn Portuguese)—he can wear the heck out of a bespoke tux and he knows his way around weapons like, say, an umbrella that is also a bullet-proof shield. His attachment to the sequel is still rumored, but it's hard to see how he'd be able to stay away from this project. And yes, for those who have seen the original, we understand the [spoiler alert] plot complexities of this role reprisal, but spy movies always find a way to work people in.
Taron Egerton is going to be the next big thing. The breakout star of the original flick was a relative (okay total) newbie when he scored the role, but he damn near stole the show from Mr. Firth. His perfect combination of wit and charm made his otherwise kind of bratty character completely likable, and he's not half bad to look at either. He's in for a red hot few years ahead, with a role opposite Hugh Jackman in last month's Eddie the Eagle and a spot in the upcoming Billionaire Boys Club alongside the likes of Kevin Spacey, Emma Roberts and Ansel Elgort. Oh, and then there are the rumors that he might be considered for a young Han Solo.
The sequel's female cast is on fire. If there's one thing the original Kingsman installment lacked, it's strong female roles. Sure, there was one agent-in-training who was pretty badass, but for the second go-round the studio has pulled in both Julianne Moore and Halle Berry, who will be playing the lead villain and the head of the CIA, respectively. Yes, please.
The Dark Knight syndrome. Otherwise known as When An Action Movie Gets Surprisingly Good Reviews and Slowly Takes In More and More Money and Becomes a Sleeper Hit, Thus Justifying a Sequel That Will Inevitably Become a Smash Hit and Beloved Movie Sensation. Mic drop.