Argylle Director Matthew Vaughn Had To Follow One Weird Rule To Keep It PG-13
Between "Kick-Ass" and the "Kingsman" films, a hard R rating was always the name of the game for director Matthew Vaughn. Whether it's Hit-Girl's (Chloë Grace Moretz) doomed rescue mission or Harry Hart's (Colin Firth) church fight, Vaughn has proven to be a master at making sure bullets land in the right place, which is why his brand-new spy movie, the PG-13-rated "Argylle," marks a surprising change in direction — one that meant throwing out his old rulebook and replacing it with a new one.
"It sort of made me laugh. I didn't know this at the time but headshots give you an R, chest shots, don't," Vaughn admitted on the podcast "Inside Total Film" (via GamesRadar+). "I said, 'I don't understand that because shooting someone in the chest is acceptable, but then the head is really bad?' I don't think most people care where you're going to get shot, if you're gonna get shot, you're gonna get shot." As the director learned, though, these adjustments were essential to keeping "Argylle" PG-13.
Matthew Vaughn looked to the classics when mapping out Argylle
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.