There’s a mystery surrounding Argylle, Henry Cavill’s new Apple TV+ spy movie

There’s a strange mystery brewing around Henry Cavill and the Apples upcoming spy thriller For Argywith multiple observers—including The Hollywood Reporter— and note that they can find no trace of the listed author of the book on which the film is based.

The author in question is reportedly Elly (or possibly Ellie) Conway, a first-time novelist who has secured a deal to make his debut novel (thoseout “a troubled agent with a checkered past who might just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world”) tturned into a $200 million movie by Apple. That’s especially notable since the book isn’t even out yet, and it won’t be until March 2023, just two months before the movie hits Apple TV+; instead according to director Matthew VaughnConway sold the book on the strength of an “early draft script”. Details about Conway himself are incredibly minimal online: No one can find a trace of herBesides a Penguin Books biography listing her simply as “the author of the long-awaited debut thriller For Argy” and a blank Instagram page that uses the book’s cover as a logo. THR– as well as author Josh Rosenberg, who wrote about this mystery back in March– both note that everyone involved, including her listed agent, have gone very quiet, very quickly, when asked about Conway’s whereabouts or background.

It’s all especially notable because Apple is throwing a lot of money and talent for this project, with Cavill’s co-stars in the film, including Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, and Samuel L. Jacksonwith Kingsman‘s Wown instruction. There are even murmurs of a potential franchise, though the current deal with the studio is for just a single film.

It is certainly possible that everything here is on the up-and-up— that Conway sold the book because of a very strong draft, but just wants to stay out of the public eye while they finish their already mega-successful book. Books do few choices before they finish with some regularity, although usually non-fiction and usually with a publication date not that close to the movie’s release date. We have no idea what the real answer here is – weird metafictional twist? Famous author pseudonym? Boring old reality? – but really: What is a spy thriller for if not a little conspiracy-minded thinking?