Swifties Believe The Singer Wrote Upcoming Spy Thriller ‘Argylle’ Under Pen Name

Topline

Star-studded spy film Argylle opens in theaters in February and takes inspiration from a yet-to-be-released novel of the same name, written by first-time author Elly Conway, but a lack of information about the author online and what some think are Easter eggs laid by Taylor Swift has led fans to spread theories Swift (whose involvement has not been confirmed) may actually be the writer of the novel.

Fans have pointed to a lack of information about ‘Argylle’ author Elly Conway online, among other … [+] supposed clues. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Apple acquired the rights to Argylle, starring the likes of Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Dua Lipa, in a reported $200 million deal in 2021, a huge sum that raised some eyebrows because the source material is the debut novel from unknown author Elly Conway—and the book is not even out yet.

Swifties have scoured Conway’s Instagram account, which does not contain any pictures of the author herself; fans pointed out her first post was made on December 13, Swift’s birthday, and her post of the official Argylle poster features a Scottish Fold cat, the same breed as Swift’s two cats.

Chip, the cat from Argylle, has his own Instagram account, too—Swift is one of the 21 accounts he follows—and earlier this week, he posted a picture of his owner with lyrics from Swift’s “You Belong With Me” in the caption.

Some fans have gone viral on social media this week compiling scores of “evidence” that Swift must be involved in the film, noting Swift wore a sweater during “Eras Tour” rehearsals that says “Conway Studios,” and a character on Australian soap opera Neighbours shares Conway’s name and made her first appearance on the show on Swift’s birthday.

Howard stars as a fictionalized version of Conway in Argylle, and some Swifties have pointed out her portrayal of a red-haired author bears a striking resemblance to Swift, who similarly portrays a redheaded author in her “All Too Well” music video.

Swift has also ventured into writing and directing in recent years: She’s reportedly writing and directing a film for Searchlight Pictures, and she’s directed most of her recent music videos.

Forbes reached out to Apple Studios for comment.

Tangent

Swifties have flooded the comments of Conway’s Instagram account accusing her of being Swift. One commenter said it’s suspicious that Conway follows just 22 accounts, referring to Swift’s song, 22. “If you’re Taylor Swift blink twice,” another wrote. Some admitted, though, that Swift really might have nothing to do with the movie. “Imagine this isn’t Taylor and she is just reading the comments so confused,” one commenter said.

Contra

Conway wrote on Instagram she is an “introvert” and only recently began posting on social media because she was told to for film promotional purposes.

Key Background

Swift has long been known for teasing her fans with hints and clues about future projects, in some cases directly challenging them to unlock her secrets. Earlier in her career, Swift hid decipherable messages for fans in her CD booklets by capitalizing random letters. In 2017, she said the “whole video” for “Look What You Made Me Do” is an Easter egg, and she hid the titles of future singles in the video for 2019’s “ME!” For her re-recorded albums, which contain previously unreleased songs, Swift challenges fans to unscramble song titles. Swift’s history of dropping Easter eggs has caused her fans to develop wild theories about her every move, but the singer has admitted she “trained them to be that way.” Swift is also no stranger to pen names: She co-wrote Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s hit “This Is What You Came For” under the pen name Nils Sjöberg, and her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn has writing credits on several of her songs under the name William Bowery.

Surprising Fact

The Hollywood Reporter attempted to contact Conway and receive an advance copy of the novel last year, both of which were unsuccessful. Conway’s biography on Penguin Random House’s website is also just two sentences long, only revealing she lives in upstate New York and a brief plot summary of Argylle.