Matthew Vaughn was reluctant to make the edits required to bring “Argylle” down from an R rating, reflecting, “Two of them annoyed the hell out of me, but, hey, ho. I was like, ‘Really, that makes it an R?'” In the end, though, he opted to keep the film PG-13, inspired by classics that have a balance of thrills, spills, and a dash of romance for good measure.
Looking to “Charade,” “North by Northwest,” and “Romancing the Stone” as reference points, Vaughn explained, “These are movies that didn’t need to be an R, like ‘Kick-Ass’ needed to be. The rating should be a reflection of what the film is, not trying to make a movie for a rating.”
In an exclusive interview with Looper, the director explained that he was seeking to make a spy movie that appealed to a broad audience, concluding, “I also say it’s a date movie, which I say, it’s a date movie that women will love and men will tolerate.” See for yourself when “Argylle” opens in theaters on Friday, February 2.
