After orchestrating a Secret Service and inviting viewers into the Golden Circle, it seems writer-director Matthew Vaughn is getting ready now to take his boisterous Kingsman series back to the past.
For a while, we’ve heard that along with a third film in the current trilogy, Vaughn was also looking to do a prequel titled Kingsman: The Great Game and finally, it’s beginning to come together. From what we know so far, it’ll be set during World War I with the protagonist being a man named Conrad, who’s described as “a cocky young son of a British Duke determined to serve his country, who finds himself thrust into the midst of the world of espionage with some of history’s most dangerous spies and assassins.”
That role will be played by 22-year old British actor Harris Dickinson, and now, we have some updates on who’ll join him. According to That Hashtag Show, Rachel Weisz is circling the part of Polly, Conrad’s nanny who’s said to be a ruthless force of nature and is instrumental in raising him. But that’s not all, as Brad Pitt is also being eyed by Fox, with the studio hoping he’ll play Grigori Rasputin, “a controversial figure in Russia, having gained considerable influence over Tsar Nicholas II after “healing” his hemophiliac son Alexi.”
THS’ report goes on to outline some of the other key WWI figures we’ll be meeting in The Great Game as well, with names like Gavrilo Princip, Margaretha Zelle, General Herbert Kitchener and more all being tossed around. Though as of yet, there’s no word on who may play these roles or how Conrad will ultimately cross paths with them.
Still, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the franchise, with another spinoff said to be in the works, too, which would focus on the Statesman. Furthermore, there’ve also been rumors of a miniseries for television as well, though details on that particular project have been pretty hard to come by.
Nevertheless, there’s clearly a lot to look forward to over the next couple of years and while the impending Disney-Fox merger has raised question marks over the future of the Kingsman franchise, Bob Iger, CEO of the Mouse House, recently voiced his desire to continue on with it well beyond 2019, and that can only be a good thing.