The Mystery of Taylor Swift and the Novel Behind 'Argylle'

The Conspiracy Theory

The upcoming film 'Argylle' has sparked a mystery surrounding the true author of the novel that inspired it. Many speculate that Taylor Swift is the secret author, but director Matthew Vaughn insists otherwise. Let's delve into the intriguing details and unravel the mystery behind this literary conspiracy.

Argylle Director Matthew Vaughn s Daughter Was Convinced Taylor Swift Wrote the Book Just Like Us 771

Many fans think Taylor Swift is the ghostwriter behind the novel that inspired the upcoming film Argylle — and director Matthew Vaughn’s daughter is one of them.

Argylle Director Matthew Vaughn s Daughter Was Convinced Taylor Swift Wrote the Book Just Like Us 772

Vaughn, 52, told Rolling Stone in an interview published on Tuesday, January 16. 'And I’m looking at her going, ‘What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn’t write the book!’ But my daughter was convinced of it.'

Argylle, which hits theaters on Friday, February 2, and stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Henry Cavill, follows reclusive author Elly Conway (Howard) as she writes best-selling spy novels about a secret agent named Argylle (Cavill), who’s on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate.

The film is inspired by a recently published novel of the same name, which was written by an author using the pseudonym Elly Conway. The author’s true identity has remained a mystery since Apple bought the film rights for a reported $200 million in August 2021, with Jason Fuchs adapting the novel into a script.

Clues and Speculations

Pseudonymous authors aren’t unheard of, but the small amount of information known about Conway sparked conspiracy theories about who is actually behind the story. Swift, 34, became a primary candidate over the past several months for several reasons.

In addition to Swift’s love for argyle sweaters, the pop star has a history of using fake names for some of her projects. In 2016, she cowrote Rihanna’s 'This Is What You Came For' with now-ex Calvin Harris under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg. On her 2020 release Evermore, she credited then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn for three songs under the faux moniker William Bowery. (Alwyn, 32, also cowrote the track 'Sweet Nothing' from her 2022 record, Midnights.)

Despite the clues, Vaughn insists that Swift is not the secret author of Argylle — but he appreciates the investigative prowess of Swift fans everywhere.

Swift's Influence and Future Ventures

That doesn’t mean Vaughn didn’t pull some inspiration from Swift in other areas. Vaughn admitted that the Grammy winner is the reason a Scottish Fold cat appears in the film. Vaughn and his wife, Claudia Schiffer, adopted one after their daughters fell in love with Swift’s Scottish Folds, Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson, while watching her 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana.

While Swift may not be behind Argylle, her career has been expanding beyond music and into other artistic ventures in the past few years. In 2022, she made her directorial debut with All Too Well: The Short Film. She is also set to direct her first feature with Searchlight Pictures, based on a script she wrote.

'Taylor is a once-in-a-generation artist and storyteller,' Searchlight presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield shared in a December 2022 statement. 'It is a genuine joy and privilege to collaborate with her as she embarks on this exciting and new creative journey.'