{"id":86739,"date":"2024-01-31T14:35:33","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T03:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=246416"},"modified":"2024-01-31T14:55:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T03:55:07","slug":"taylor-swift-elly-conway-argylle","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/taylor-swift-elly-conway-argylle\/","title":{"rendered":"No, Taylor Swift Is Not Responsible For Dua Lipa\u2019s Upcoming Spy Comedy \u201cArgylle\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Taylor-Swift-Birthday\"
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Taylor Swift is seen in the Lower East Side on December 13, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Gotham\/GC Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The realms of celebrity culture and must-read literature intersect more often and not lately thanks to best-selling books becoming the accessory du jour for sartorial savants. (No really, members of the celebrity style set have reportedly employed book stylists to help brand their personal image by toting zeitgeist-savvy reads).<\/p>\n

But what happens when you combine an enigmatic debut novelist\u2013who landed a $200 million film deal before her book hit shelves\u2014a spy-comedy and a movie adaption starring Dua Lipa<\/a>? A conspiracy theory involving Taylor Swift, of course.<\/p>\n

For the uninitiated, the upcoming Matthew Vaughn espionage action film Argylle<\/em> has taken on a mystery of its own: who is the ambiguous author, Elly Conway, who penned the source material? Argylle<\/em>\u2014specifically the upcoming film starring Dua Lipa, Henry Caville, Sam Rockwell and Claudia Schiffer\u2019s cat (but more on that later)\u2014has found itself in the centre of a perplexing turn of events.<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s trailer revealed that Conway was not just the author, but the main character of her meta-story as the movie follows the tribulations of the in-universe writer as she gets roped into an espionage plot of her own. Making matters more confusing is the fact that the real-life Elly Conway penned the story-within-a-story under a pseudonym.<\/p>\n

So how did netizens land on Taylor Swift<\/a> as the cryptic wordsmith, and why is she involuntarily included in this narrative<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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Dua Lip and Henry Cavill in Argylle<\/em>. Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Is Taylor Swift Elly Conway? All The Fan Theories<\/h5>\n

A Red Hair Author Is The Protagonist<\/strong>
\nThe film adaptation sees Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic Park, Black Mirror<\/em>) lead the production as Elly Conway. As we know, Conway\u2019s real identity is concealed, but perhaps her on-screen appearance hints at their persona. For starters, Conway appears on-screen as a \u201cdorky\u201d writer sporting red hair. (Howard told Graham Norton that Swift\u2019s \u201csort of unapologetic dorkiness\u201d was a \u201cgreat inspiration\u201d for her character).<\/p>\n

Swift portrayed a red-headed writer in the final act of the self-directed All Too Well: The Short Film.<\/em> In Variety\u2019s<\/em> directors-on-directors interview with Martin McDonaugh, Swift revealed that she has intentions to work on a feature film<\/a> in the future. Was Argylle<\/em><\/a> this project?<\/p>\n

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Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway in Argylle<\/em>. Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Taylor Swift in All Too Well: The Short Film<\/em>. Credit: Taylor Swift \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taylor Swift Owns And Wears Conway Studios Merchandise<\/strong>
\nAnother hint comes in the form of clothing from Swift\u2019s wardrobe\u2014specifically, a \u2018Conway Studios\u2019 shirt worn during a final rehearsal of the Eras Tour<\/a>. Swift posted the image of herself in the garment to social media, further sparking intrigue given her prowess for planting hidden Easter eggs<\/a>. While many fans interpreted this as an admission of her being Conway, we took this at literal value: Swift wearing a t-shirt from the music studio she records in.<\/p>\n

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Taylor Swift wearing Conway Studios merchandise. Credit: Instagram\/@TaylorSwift<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taylor Swift & Elly Conway Both Own Scottish Folds<\/strong>
\nA critical clue comes in the form of Chip\u2014Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn\u2019s Scottish Fold cat that appears as Conway\u2019s kitten in the film. Swift\u2019s 2020 documentary Miss Americana<\/em> showed her carrying her Scottish Fold in a backpack as Conway does in the film, further teasing the parallels between Swift and the seemingly fictitious author.<\/p>\n

Addressing this, Vaughn did hold Swift responsible for the reason the Scottish Fold is in the film. \u201cIronically, what she is responsible for is the Scottish Fold,\u201d Vaughn explained. \u201cI got home one day, it was Christmas, and I was like, \u2018What the f*** is that noise?\u2019 And I\u2019m running around the house and I hear a noise, and the kids had seen a Taylor Swift documentary [Miss Americana] and there was a Scottish Fold in that, and they\u2019d persuaded my wife, Claudia [Schiffer], to get them the kitten for Christmas. It was bought without my permission and hidden from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Taylor Swift with her one of her Scottish Folds. Credit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taylor Swift Has Previously Used Pseudonyms<\/strong>
\nIn another interview, Vaughn confirmed that Elly Conway was an alias for the real author. Swift has a registered talent for using nom de plumes<\/em>. As it was uncovered in 2016, Swift used the false moniker of \u201cNils Sj\u00f6berg\u201d to write \u201cThis Is What You Came From\u201d. Swift\u2019s ex-boyfriend, Calvin Harris,<\/a> released the single, featuring vocals from Rihanna, after they collaborated on the project together, even going so far as to record demos.<\/p>\n

Swift also featured the pseudonym \u201cWilliam Bowery\u201d on her eighth studio album, folklore<\/em>. In Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions<\/em>, Swift revealed this was the pen name for her then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn<\/a>. Alwyn\u2019s work as Bowery earned him a retrospective credit and a Grammy Award. Speaking on the power of pseudonyms, Swift told music legend Paul McCartney: \u201cI think when a pseudonym comes in is when you still have a love for making the work, and you don\u2019t want the work to become overshadowed by this thing that\u2019s been built around you, based on what people know about you.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s when it\u2019s really fun to create fake names and write under them,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Taylor Swift Has A Well-Documented Penchant For Argyle Print<\/strong>
\nArgylle pulls its name from its lead character\u2013a dashing fictional spy played by Henry Cavil. The inspiration for the title is the Scottish-originated diamond pattern, a print Swift has a particular penchant for. The singer\u2019s wardrobe is rife with accessible, prep-inspired staples<\/a>, leading to her wearing the pattern on multiple occasions. (Including in the album cover photo shoot for Lover<\/em><\/a>) Swift\u2019s inclination for the pattern even resulted in her selling an argyle sweater as official merchandise following the release of her re-recorded Red<\/em> album.<\/p>\n

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 03: Taylor Swift is seen on November 03, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham\/GC Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
So, Did Taylor Swift Write Argyle?<\/h5>\n

Compounding evidence certainly argues Swift’s writing of Argylle<\/em> as a strong possibility, but sadly she did not write the book or have any involvement in the film. The movie\u2019s director shut down this theory, revealing: \u201cThere is a real book\u2026 and it\u2019s a really good book. And there is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it\u2019s not Taylor Swift.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I say that because I imagine Taylor Swift has a load of people trying to jump on her bandwagon left, right, and centre, and I don\u2019t want to be a part of that club,\u201d he added. \u201cI did read the conspiracies and I was like, wow, they don\u2019t leave a stone unturned! But it\u2019s not Taylor Swift. She definitely didn\u2019t write the book.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to Variety<\/em><\/a>, Vaughn maintained that Elly Conway is in fact a real person. \u201cThere is a Elly Conway. I am begging Elly Conway to come out of the shadows because this Taylor Swift thing freaked me out. And it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryce Dallas Howard also touted about Taylor Swift\u2019s involvement. \u201cWe can\u2019t pretend she was involved,\u201d Howard said on The Graham Norton Show. \u201cThe reality is she was in many ways a great inspiration. She is a cat lady. She\u2019s got this awesome backpack with a cat in [it] that she walks around with. She loves a good argyle sweater, and there is a sort of unapologetic dorkiness about her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The level of self-references in the body of work, however, does lend itself to a potential Argylle universe where Swift could get involved in future. Imagine this story-in-a-story turned into a musical based on the film adapted from a book. Who better to write the original score than Taylor?<\/p>\n

Argylle launches in Australian cinemas on February 2nd. Watch the trailer for the film below:<\/em><\/p>\n