City Times gets up close with the stars of the movie at the world premiere of the action-comedy in Leicester Square
For a journalist who majorly covers Bollywood, it felt a tad unreal to see Hollywood star Colin Firth arrive at 6.10pm on the orange carpet which was scheduled to open at 6pm.
The stars of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, out in the UAE this Thursday, descended on the orange carpet for the world premiere of Matthew Vaughn's sequel to Kingsman The Secret Service, at Leicester Square, London on Monday night. City Times walked the orange carpet alongside the stars and we were impressed!
Firth and co-stars Taron Egerton and Mark Strong were there for the star-studded British premiere along with Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal (of Game of Thrones fame) and Halle Berry.
The stylised action-packed movie boasts of one of the most impressive star casts in years. Channing came with wife Jenna Dewan who turned up in stunning sheer gown. The couple painted a playful picture on the orange carpet as they constantly laughed and shared jokes.
It was good to see former supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who plays a cameo in the film, along with her director husband Vaughn on the orange carpet. Schiffer posed happily with a robot (character in Kingsman) for snappers. The blonde bombshell, 47, looked like a woman half her age in person as she showed up in a black and white striped dress. Vaughn, however, had to walk the orange carpet with the help of a walking stick due to a foot injury.
Julianne, as always, looked stunning in a glittering silver gown. The actress plays the notorious criminal mastermind, Poppy Adams in Kingsman. She wowed the crowds with her fashionable outfit.
However, more than any other star on the day, it was Sir Elton John who stole the show. The singer, songwriter and composer (who plays himself in Kingsman) was driven around the orange carpet in a London Taxi.
Apparently, Sir Elton was offered a role in the first Kingsman as well, but he turned it down. The singer mingled with the director and Firth. All the stars thrilled the crowds as they clicked selfies after selfies with screaming fans who braved the cold and the rain for the entire duration while the stars sashayed down the carpet. And at the After Party, we were lucky to spot lead star Taron Egerton, who plays the protagonist.
Elton John plays for the baddies
Elton John, who plays himself in the movie, is held captive by Poppy, played by Julianne Moore. She electrocutes him when he doesn't perform well. Though he pleases her with his performance, he is not able to get her out of her grumpy mood. Besides, playing for Miss Poppy, Elton also has a scene where he has to save Colin Firth's life. We cannot call Elton's role a cameo because, he is present in almost every other frame in the film. True to his stage persona, Elton wears ridiculous over-the-top costumes. Sometimes he is dressed up as a large peacock or wears diamond shapped goggles or a tight helmet, and everytime Elton appears on screen, the audience bursts into laughter!
The Art of Shaving
One of the global sponsors of Kingsman: The Golden Circle is grooming brand The Art of Shaving (TAOS). As the International Market CEO of the brand Asad Raza Khan told us: "The Art of Shaving is proud to be associated with Kingsman: The Golden Circle. This association symbolises the coming together of two concepts which completely believe in the perfect gentlemen and what is needed to become one. TAOS arrived in the UAE earlier this year and has the first two shops in Citywalk 2 and now Dubai Festival City. It is also present in select Paris Gallery outlets including Dubai Mall and Ibn Batuta Mall."