If you didn't manage to catch last year's spy movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, then you missed one of the most insane action movies in recent memory. Starring Colin Firth as a suave Bond-like agent, Samuel L. Jackson as a lisping supervillain and young British hunk Taron Egerton as the spy-in-training, Kingsman — directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) and based on a comic by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) — was a hilarious, bloody good time. So naturally a sequel is in development. But since Sam Jackson's Richmond Valentine met his gory demise at the end of the first film (*spoiler alert!*), who could possibly step into his shoes as the new evil mastermind? Well, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that none other than Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore is in talks to join Kingsman 2 as the new villain.
Moore, who just won her long-awaited first statuette last year for Alzheimer's drama Still Alice after four previous nominations, is mostly known for her terrific work in award-worthy dramas (The End Of The Affair, Far From Heaven) and the occasional more comedic film (Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski). Earlier in her career, she wasn't really known for her action prowess or her villainous roles. Even when she appeared in more "genre" fare — like horror movies Psycho, or Hannibal — she invariably played the heroine.
But as her career went on, Moore began tackling a wider variety of genres and roles… and these seven films prove that she's totally prepared to play the villain in Kingsman 2.
1. ARIIA, Eagle Eye (2008)
Moore's first truly villainous role came in 2008… and you probably didn't even notice. She had an uncredited role in this techno-thriller starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan — a role in which we never saw her face, since she merely served as the chilling voice of homicidal supercomputer ARIIA (or, Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst). She must have enjoyed her first time playing an evil mastermind, since her resumé post-Eagle Eye is conspicuous for its amount of antagonists.
2. Margaret White, Carrie (2013)
This wasn't the first horror remake that Moore participated in (that would be Gus Van Sant's 1998 shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, starring Vince Vaugh). But it was her first time playing the villain in a horror remake, playing the iconic horrible mother pioneered by Piper Laurie in the 1976 original. The new Carrie may not have been "necessary" in the strictest sense of the word, but at least Moore got the opportunity to chew ample scenery as the fanatically religious Margaret White.
3. Jen Summers, Non-Stop (2014)
Moore and Liam Neeson had previously teamed up for the 2009 erotic thriller Chloe, but this time the aging action star pulled his former co-star into one of his recent spate of B-movie adventures in the vein of Taken, The Grey, or Run All Night. This time, Neeson kicked terrorist butt on an airplane with the help of Julianne Moore's cooperative passenger. …Or is that duplicitous passenger? You'll have to watch the movie for yourself to find out.
4. Mother Malkin, Seventh Son (2014)
The movie itself may be groan-worthy at best, but Moore's campy performance as the witchy Mother Malkin is worth the price of admission alone. And she wasn't even the only Oscar nominee to collect a paycheck for Seventh Son, either. Also in the cast were fellow winner Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) and nominees Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Djimon Hounou (Blood Diamond).
5. President Coin, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and Part 2 (2014/'15)
But it was probably Moore's involvement in this blockbuster Young Adult adaptation that probably prepared her the best for her upcoming role in the Kingsman sequel. If her villain in that film can be half as duplicitous, scheming, and ultimately terrifying as President Alma Coin, then it'll be a character worth remembering. She may be no "lisping Sam Jackson," but I'm sure Moore will craft a worthy successor that's unique in her own right.
Kingsman 2 is due to start filming this May for a 2017 release.
Images: Giphy (7)
