Secret Service

Lore & Background

The Kingsman organization operates as a secret independent intelligence agency with a distinct code: "Manners maketh man." The narrative begins in 1997 when probationary agent Lee Unwin sacrifices himself to save his superior, Harry Hart. In gratitude for Lee's bravery and responsibility for his death, Hart gives Lee's young son, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, a medal engraved with an emergency assistance number. Seventeen years later, after Eggsy is arrested for stealing a car belonging to a friend of his abusive stepfather Dean, he calls the number.

Harry arranges his release and violently confronts Dean. Harry reveals his true identity as "Galahad" and nominates Eggsy to join Kingsman to replace "Lancelot," an agent recently killed by the assassin Gazelle. The recruitment process is grueling, overseen by technical support operative "Merlin." Candidates face demanding tests, including raising a puppy that must later be shot in the final exam.

Eggsy forms a friendship with fellow recruit Roxy but ultimately fails this specific test because he refuses to shoot the animal; consequently, Roxy becomes the new Lancelot, though it is revealed the gun used contained blanks. The central conflict involves billionaire philanthropist Richmond Valentine, who distributes free SIM cards worldwide. These cards contain microchips that can be activated to trigger uncontrollable violence in users, a plan designed by Valentine to drastically reduce the human population to combat climate change.

Wealthy supporters and selected world leaders have been implanted with protective chips to survive the signal. The plot thickens when Harry discovers Valentine's connection to a religious hate group in Kentucky, leading to a church massacre where everyone except Harry becomes violent; Harry survives but is later shot by Valentine.

Reader's Guide

Production on Kingsman: The Secret Service began by October 2012, with Matthew Vaughn opting out of directing X-Men: Days of Future Past to focus on this project. Colin Firth joined in April 2013, followed soon after by Samuel L. Jackson. Principal photography commenced on 6 October 2013 in Deepcut, Surrey, utilizing locations like the Alexandra Road Estate in Camden for Eggsy's home and Imperial College London for key scenes. The Savile Row exterior of Huntsman served as the Kingsman headquarters.

The film was released theatrically first in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2015 and in the United States on 13 February 2015, distributed by 20th Century Fox. It grossed $414 million worldwide to generally positive reviews. Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson composed the score, while Gary Barlow contributed original music alongside "Get Ready for It" by Take That. Notably, the famous church fight scene originally intended to use "November Rain" but was shot with "Free Bird" after Vaughn found the former's solo too short; Giles Martin remixed the track from original stems.

The UK premiere took place on 14 January 2015 in London, featuring a live performance by Take That. A regional premiere ran concurrently in Glasgow, streamed from London. In some Latin American and Indonesian releases, the church scene was excised almost completely. The film spawned two follow-ups: Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and the prequel The King's Man (2021).

Did You Know?

• Samuel L. Jackson took the role of Richmond Valentine partly because he had a career-long aspiration to play a James Bond villain, viewing it as an opportunity since appearing in a real Bond film was unlikely.
• The scene where Princess Tilde explicitly requests anal sex was criticized for misogyny upon release, but the scene was included in the theatrical release.