Despite the second film in the franchise underperforming with critics and at the box office, the ‘Kingsman’ series is stronger than ever. Earlier this week, we got a first look at the upcoming prequel, which sees director Matthew Vaughn step behind the camera to give us the origins of the secret British spy organization. And we know that once that film is done, work is going to begin on the proper sequel to 2017’s ‘The Golden Circle.’ However, a new report states that Vaughn might not be the man behind the camera for “Kingsman 3.”
Deadline is reporting that Jon S. Baird, the filmmaker behind last year’s “Stan and Ollie,” has signed on to direct an “untitled Marv Films movie.” Marv Films is the production company that releases the “Kick-Ass” and “Kingsman” films and is led by the aforementioned Vaughn. The report goes a step further to say that the timing of Baird’s hiring, as well as the fact that he pulled out of helming the upcoming film “Rothchild,” leads people to believe that the director is actually taking over for Vaughn for “Kingsman 3.”
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Baird is probably best known for last year’s “Stan and Ollie,” but he’s also worked on high-profile TV series such as “I’m Dying Up Here” and Martin Scorsese’s short-lived “Vinyl.” Previous to last year’s film, his previous feature-length project was the 2013 film “Filth.”
The idea of Baird taking over for Vaughn for “Kingsman 3” is pretty interesting for a couple of reasons. Previously, it was reported that Vaughn was planning to produce “The King’s Man” (the prequel) and “Kingsman 3” back-to-back. It was assumed that the helmer would stay aboard the upcoming sequel due to the fact that it’s intended to be the end of the series, and Vaughn’s unique style is such a trademark of the irreverent spy franchise.
Also, let’s be real for a second, Baird isn’t the first name that would come up in listing directors that would follow in Vaughn’s footsteps for ‘Kingsman.’ While he’s truly an accomplished filmmaker and a great talent, Baird isn’t known for his action films, let alone his highly R-rated spy satires. Alas, here we are and you know what? It might just work.