Henry Cavill’s critically panned Argylle movie is coming to Apple TV Plus very soon

Argylle was a huge commercial flop for Apple and Universal

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Argylle, the spy action-comedy film starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell that flopped upon its theatrical release, has landed anAppleTV Plus launch date.

The joint Apple-Universal movie, which was only released in theaters in early February, will join the streamer’s back catalog on Friday, April 12. That’s right,Argyllewill be released on one of the world’sbest streaming servicesin just one week (at the time of publication, anyway). The confirmation comes by way of a post onApple TV Plus' X/Twitter account, which you can view below:

Never judge an author by their cover. Argylle is coming to Apple TV+ in one week. pic.twitter.com/9rnZ1UZ324April 5, 2024

For the uninitiated:Argylletells the tale of Elly Conway (Howard), the esteemed and award-winning author of the spy book series starring the titular character Aubrey Argylle. He’s played by Cavill (The Witcher,Superman) in metatextual, live-action sequences – based on Conway’s works – that are peppered throughout the film.

Away from the public eye, Conway keeps herself to herself, choosing instead to shun glamorous parties for quieter days at home with her cat Alfie. However, Conway’s life is turned upside down when events in her literary works surprisingly start to play out in real life. When a nefarious criminal organization known as The Division target her because her novels seemingly predict the future, Conway is forced to team up with an actual spy – Aidan Wylde (Rockwell) – to put an end to The Division’s plans for world domination.

I spy another underwhelming Apple film

Ahead of its February 2 release, I suggested thatArgyllewould beone of 18 epic movies that audiences wouldn’t want to miss in 2024. Indeed, based on the various trailers and TV spots that Apple/Universal released ahead of its theatrical debut, which teased a spy film that would subvert our expectations, it seemedArgyllewould be a surefire hit.

That didn’t prove to be the case, though. One of 2024’s earlynew movieswas critically panned prior to its release, with journalists calling it “bloated”, “confusing”, “messy”, “overlong”, “airy”, and “boring” among many other negative adjectives. ItsRotten Tomatoes(RT) rating subsequently left a lot to be desired, with the Matthew Vaughn-directed movie earning a terrible 33% score pre-release.

Argyllefaired far better with general audiences – its 72% RT score proving as much – but it was as much a commercial flop as a a critical one. According toBox Office Mojo, it made an abject $92.2 million worldwide, which is less than half its reported $200 million budget. That figure doesn’t take into account its marketing/promotional costs, either, meaningArgyllewas as big a failure as I can remember for an Apple Studios-developed project. In short: don’t expect to see it on ourbest Apple TV Plus movieslist any time soon.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

In fact, I can’t remember a more turbulent time for the tech giant’s entertainment division from a moviemaking perspective. Only two of the six recent films that Apple has independently or co-financed –Killers of the Flower Moon(93% and 84%) andFlora & Son(93% and 83%) – have been hailed by fans and critics alike.Napoleon(58% and 59%),The Family Plan(25% and 61%), andFingernails(60% and 47%) were all met with mixed to poor receptions, just likeArgyllewas. If Apple felt it was finally making inroads in the movie business afterCODA’s shock 2022 Best Picture Oscar win, the world-renowned company might want to revisit its filmmaking strategy.

You might also like

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

I’m canceling Prime Video for Apple TV Plus this month – here are 5 reasons why

4 new Apple TV Plus movies and shows I’m excited to stream in November

Belkin’s Travel Bag for Vision Pro has pockets and is way cheaper than Apple’s own case