After the surprise hit that was Kingsman: The Secret Service, it came as a shock to absolutely nobody that a sequel was hurriedly greenlit.
With the first one bringing in $414 million at the box-office, it's clear Fox have something on their hands that could easily turn into a franchise for them. With that in mind, casting has kicked off for the follow-up to Kingsman with Julianne Moore all but set to play the villain in the piece.
Colin Firth, meanwhile, has been scrubbed off the list as plans to have his character return in some fashion - whether it be through flashbacks or as a twin of his character in the firs tone - were ultimately scrapped before they got off the ground. Samuel L. Jackson, likewise, won't be back, however it's understood that Mark Strong will possibly make a return as Merlin. This time around, the action will take place in the US rather than in London, obviously in an effort to appeal to less the smaller UK market and more to the wider American audiences.
So, Julianne Moore as a villain? We can totally see that. She hasn't really done a straightforward villain of this type before and considering it's Kingsman, we're guessing there'll be plenty of scenery-chewing for her and us to enjoy as well. Whether Kingsman 2 will have the same spark as the original remains to be seen, but with Matthew Vaughn returning to direct, there's some hope at least.
Via THR.com