Mighty Jaxx figurines in Argylle: How the Singapore company ended up in a Hollywood spy movie

When Jackson Aw of Singapore collectibles company Mighty Jaxx was first contacted by British production company Marv Studios several years ago about collaborating for a movie, he was initially sceptical about how his team would get involved.

“They were asking in a very vague way (as they couldn’t give too much away from the film plot), if they could get us to design certain toys or props based on characters related to the movie they were working on,” Aw, the founder and chief executive of Mighty Jaxx Group, told CNA Lifestyle. 

That was in September 2021, in the midst of the pandemic.

As the conversation progressed, Aw soon realised that it was not their usual type of collaboration. In fact, it was “way more exhilarating” than he initially thought.

Unlike most clients who would typically commission them to incorporate their own designs into consumer products, Marv Studios wanted them to come up with toy collectible designs that would prominently feature within the movie plot – a first for Mighty Jaxx.

Fast forward to today and you’ll find various Mighty Jaxx character collectibles appearing in Argylle, specially designed to model after the film’s star-studded cast.

Now showing in Singapore cinemas, Argylle is a spy thriller comedy directed by Matthew Vaughn, who is also behind X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass and the blockbuster Kingsman franchise. 

In the film, reclusive author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle (Henry Cavill) who is on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate. However, when the plots of her books start to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organisation, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur.

"This collaboration marks a thrilling milestone for Mighty Jaxx, as we proudly make our debut on the global Hollywood stage,” Aw said in a statement. “It is surreal seeing our collectibles on the big screen, elevating the film’s fun factor and giving the star-studded cast a new way of interacting with audiences globally.”

The 35-year-old Aw shared with CNA Lifestyle that the production process and working together with Marv was “very smooth” and took about 30 months to complete.

Marv Studios had a clear idea of what form factor they wanted, and while they gave some pointers on how to represent the characters, the Mighty Jaxx team was given the freedom to play with the actual stylisation of the collectibles and define the iconic final look.

“We decided to opt for something more edgy, almost abstract as well,” said Aw on the design concept.

They were asked to prepare four characters and their packaging, which would be prominently displayed in the scenes being shot in October 2021. After Marv Studios saw the first four characters, they asked Mighty Jaxx for four more. From there, Marv also built a 2-metre statue based off the Henry Cavill figurine.

Mighty Jaxx has released eight figurines, which are based on the all-star cast of Argylle, which include Henry Cavill (Superman, The Witcher), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise), Oscar winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), John Cena (Fast X), pop superstar Dua Lipa, Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Samuel L Jackson (The Marvels) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad).

The figurines get surprisingly a lot of screen time, appearing in Elly’s book launch scenes. In one, Elly is pictured talking to the Henry Cavill figurine on her desk at home while figuring out the next steps in her book.

Reflecting on the dream collaboration, Aw said: “Being a Kingsman fan, it was a major fanboy moment (to work with Matthew Vaughn). But it also left a very deep impact on how local creatives can further hone their craft.”

He added: “A lot of things we do are very service based, for agencies or corporates to get their messaging out… But in this case, they came to us specifically for us to contribute to the movie. It’s our hope that other creatives are inspired to create more and see their work on the world stage.”

Director Matthew Vaughn said in a statement: “We had a great time working with Jackson and his team to bring the eight character figurines into the storytelling of Argylle. The Mighty Jaxx team prototyped the figurines for our principal photography, which are now stylised as one-of-a-kind collectibles. I cannot wait for everyone to see them in the film.”

Best known for their phygital collectibles, Mighty Jaxx’s star has been on the rise in recent years.

From a budding start-up founded in 2012, it has emerged as a leading designer toy company with a cult reputation among collectors, artists and brands. It has since collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Netflix, Disney, Formula 1, Hasbro and Toei Animation, among others.

Last year, the company made its foray into interactive experiences with Stranger Things – The Encounter: Singapore for the Netflix series Stranger Things, which it plans to take to other places like Vietnam and Dubai.

Mighty Jaxx’s Argylle Movie Collectibles Series, which includes eight 10-inch (25.4cm) vinyl characters, retails at US$169 (S$226) and is available for pre-order at mightyjaxx.com from Feb 2.

Argylle is out in Singapore cinemas now.