[Comprehensive] 'Kingsman' Director Matthew Vaughn: "Opposed to War, Embraced a Theme of Peace"

Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "From World War I to the Gulf War, wars should never have happened. We must become pacifists who maintain peace."

Matthew Vaughn, the director of the 'Kingsman' prequel, revealed that the film carries an anti-war message.

At a virtual press conference for the film 'Kingsman: The First Agent' held on the morning of the 17th, director Matthew Vaughn said, "Whenever a new work comes out, I always want to rush to Korea, but I regret that I can't. I definitely want to visit Korea next time," greeting the audience.

Opening on the 22nd, 'Kingsman: The First Agent' is a prequel that depicts the origin of the first independent intelligence agency 'Kingsman' and one person who tries to stop the worst tyrants and criminals in history who are plotting a war that threatens millions of lives.

Previously, the 'Kingsman' series achieved domestic box office success with 6.12 million viewers for 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' and 4.94 million for 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle,' totaling 11 million viewers. Matthew Vaughn, who directed both films, took the helm once again.

How is it different from the previous works? Matthew Vaughn joked, "Actor Ralph Fiennes, who is sitting right next to me," and said, "If you just focus on the destination, it would get boring. The journey itself is important, and as the film progresses toward the latter part, a 'Kingsman'-style movie that audiences expect will emerge."

He added, "The Duke of Oxford, who first created the Kingsman organization, had values and principles he wanted to realize, and the film had to lay a very solid foundation to persuade that these would be maintained even 100 years later," emphasizing the difference.

In the film, actor Ralph Fiennes, known for his roles in the 'Harry Potter' series, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' and '007 Spectre,' plays the protagonist, the Duke of Oxford. At the press conference, he explained, "We return to the important period of World War I, and real historical figures such as the German and Russian emperors, the Duke of Spain, and Rasputin appear as characters in the film."

He continued, "I really like the 'Kingsman' universe that Matthew Vaughn has built. Its unique action and humor are fun, and the background that looks back on the origin creatively imagines and creates the universe. I am honored to be part of that," he said.

Director Matthew Vaughn said, "In the previous film, there is a scene where Harry (Colin Firth) talks to Eggsy (Taron Egerton) about the founding of Kingsman, and we had to make sure to cover that part."

He added, "After studying World War I, I realized it has great implications for us today. We learned that we must choose leaders wisely, that small incidents can accumulate into big ones, and that we must not repeat past mistakes."

He then said, "Actually, this film is an anti-war movie. It raises a voice against war. Wars from World War I to the Gulf War should never have happened," and conveyed the message contained in the film: "As the lines in the movie say, even if we use violence for peace, ultimately, we must be pacifists who maintain peace."

Regarding the gentle action scenes, Ralph Fiennes said, "We trained a lot. The coordination with stuntmen and camera work had to be perfect, and the quality was good. I had already learned swordsmanship."

He also laughed, saying, "I wish I had made action films when I was younger." He added, "It was really fun and enjoyable to shoot. As a result, excellent and fantastic scenes came out," expressing satisfaction.

Listening to this, director Matthew Vaughn added, "He performed 95% of the action himself."

Ralph Fiennes, who revealed he is a fan of the previous series, said, "I wanted to join because the beloved 'Kingsman' series is going back to the earlier story. It’s a special film that contains an interesting story, good action, but also human courage, integrity, and humanity."

Harris Dickinson, who gained attention for playing Prince Philip in 'Maleficent 2,' teamed up as the new Kingsman partner with Ralph Fiennes, who spoke about him as "a talented and sincere young actor."

He continued, "Harris Dickinson was deeply immersed in his character and instinctively performed well. He has a quiet but pure passion for acting and is an untainted person," adding, "Because he is a pure actor, he expressed human sincerity well."

Finally, director Matthew Vaughn said, "I am a fan of Korean films. There is no country with a higher understanding of films than Korea."

Ralph Fiennes added, "I like Korean films. The Korean film industry has many creative and unique creators and actors. That is why 'Kingsman' being loved in Korea is a tremendous compliment to the film," he said.