Taylor wrote the novel for the film Argylle

Movie review

Elly Conway
Did Taylor Swift write the original spy thriller “Argylle”?

Even before its release, the Internet was abuzz about the spy film “Argylle” and its supposed inspiration – a novel that was only published at the beginning of this year. There has been a big mystery surrounding the author’s identity for weeks: Who is Elly Conway? And why do her fans think that pop star Taylor Swift is behind the pseudonym?

The film by British director Matthew Vaughn (“Kingsman”) with Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard and Dua Lipa is said to be based on the debut novel of the same name by an unknown author. The strange thing: When the film was produced and announced, the literary model did not yet exist. In a podcast, Vaughn explained that “Argylle” was inspired by Elly Conway’s unfinished book of the same title. He read the manuscript, which became the script for the film. The facts are startling, because it’s pretty rare for a first-time writer to be part of a film deal with this kind of star power.

In the film, Elly Conway is also the name of the character played by Bryce Dallas Howard. The introverted writer suddenly finds herself in the real world of espionage when the adventures of her fictional secret agent Argylle get a little too close to the activities of a gang of crooks. Understood? The spy thriller is based on the novel by an author who becomes part of her story as a character.

And what does Taylor Swift have to do with it?

The novel “Argylle” now exists and was published by Penguin on January 4, 2024. When asked, the publisher said it had no more information about Elly Conway than what was published on the website. Anything beyond that is speculative. However, the only information about the identity of the mysterious author on the website is that she comes from New York and is currently working on the next volume of her spy series.

Conway is also not very active on social media. Attentive fans of US superstar Taylor Swift still claim to have found “evidence” that their idol is behind the novel. Swift has already worked as a ghostwriter in the songwriting business, writing songs like “This Is What You Came For” for Rihanna under a pseudonym. The Swifties claim to have found further clues within the film: Howard’s wavy red hair is intended to be reminiscent of the red wig the singer wore in her short film “All Too Well” – Swift also portrayed a writer there. Likewise, the cardigan Conway wears could be a reference to the song “Cardigan.” But the crucial clue for many fans: Elly drags her cat around in a specially designed backpack with a window – exactly as seen in Taylor Swift’s Netflix documentary “Miss Americana”. And then the film cat is also a Scottish Fold, the same breed as two of the pop star’s animals. For Swift’s fan base, it’s not just a coincidence but evidence.

If not Taylor… then who?

The identity of the real Elly Conway – if there is one – has yet to be revealed, but director Vaughn already denied the Swift theory in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. His daughter pointed out the rumor to him because she was also convinced of it. According to Vaughn, “Argylle” was not written by the musicians. Swift only served as a source of inspiration for the thriller, but there is a real author behind the novel. So there is a real Elly Conway – or so she says Matthew Vaughn – and he also asked her to reveal her identity. So far unsuccessful.

When lead actor Henry Cavill was confronted with the Conway question before the film’s London premiere, he refused to reveal the secret. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you, at least not without killing you,” he joked to Variety. The most likely theory seems to be that a well-known author wrote the novel and published it under a pseudonym.

When will the mystery be solved?

A Washington Post editor speculated that it was the British writer Tammy Cohen, who has already published several spy thrillers. In the acknowledgments to Argylle, Elly Conway also mentions Robert Massey, a British astronomer. When asked by the newspaper, he said he had spoken to an author from Penguin Publishing. However, it is said that it was not Conway, but Tammy Cohen. It is also suspicious that Cohen’s agent is married to Stanley Tucci, who stars in Vaughn’s “Kingsman.”

And of course you’ve long since fallen into the trap if you start looking for clues like a detective, holding clues against the light and weighing theories against each other. The mystery surrounding the author, combined with the plot of the film, works as a guarantee of attention – especially when the most successful singer in the world is part of the rumor mill. Uncertain if Elly Conway’s true identity will ever be revealed. But since the mysterious one is not only continuing her series of novels, but the film is also supposed to be the first part of a trilogy, we can continue to speculate cheerfully and in keeping with the marketing strategy.