A question has been making the rounds in Hollywood for over a year now: who is the writer behind Argylle, the globe-trotting spy thriller which provided the inspiration for Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming action-comedy starring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ariana DeBose and Catherine O’Hara? Ever since the film was first announced, the author’s identity has been shrouded in mystery: the still-yet-to-be-released book, which has been adapted into the Apple TV+ movie in a reported $200 million deal, is reportedly penned by first-time novelist Elly Conway, though this appeared to be a pseudonym.

Searches for her name led to dead ends; it was spelled differently (both “Elly” and “Ellie”) in promotional material; and the publisher’s website carried an unusually brief bio: “Elly Conway is the author of the heavily anticipated debut thriller, Argylle. She lives in the United States and is currently working on the next instalment in the series.” She has a verified Instagram account, which is followed by the film’s official account, but she has never appeared on it, and it offers few clues to her real identity.

Now we know why – well, sort of. In the first trailer for Argylle, it’s revealed that the film will follow Henry Cavill and Dua Lipa as warring secret agents – but then, it cuts to (gasp!) Elly Conway, as played by Bryce Dallas Howard, the revered writer crafting this tale of espionage, who meets a real-life spy and is told that she’s in grave danger. Okay, so Elly Conway is fictional? The book she’d allegedly written, however, does appear to be real – it’s currently advertised on publisher’s websites and retailers, though its release date seems to have been pushed back in line with the film’s. Is it, in fact, simply a novelisation of the movie, written by the film’s screenwriter Jason Fuchs? Or a book by another writer who has some reason for wanting to remain anonymous? Or one by the Elly Conway behind the Instagram account, who just happens to be incredibly elusive?

As the speculation continues, one theory has taken hold in certain corners of the internet: that Elly Conway is actually……… Taylor Swift. We’ll let TikToker Jessica Lynn Slocum explain: the Argylle trailer features a cat backpack that resembles Swift’s; Bryce Dallas Howard has red hair, just like Taylor at the end of the All Too Well short film, when she’s releasing a book; and the pop star recorded some of her most popular albums at LA’s Conway Recording Studios, and has been spotted in their merch, too. Oh, and Swift is known for her love of argyle sweaters, and has even sold them as merch herself.

As evidence, the latter might seem rather weak, but there’s more: Chip, the aforementioned cat in Argylle (who is owned in real life by Argylle’s director Matthew Vaughn and his wife, Claudia Schiffer), is a Scottish Fold, just like Taylor’s cats; and on his official Instagram account, there are several Taylor-themed posts, from a photo of Taylor and Sophie Turner, with the faces of Chip and Taylor’s cat, Olivia Benson, photoshopped onto their bodies, to an ode to “You Belong With Me”. Chip also follows just 21 people: those affiliated with the film, a bevy of supermodels (naturally, given it’s Claudia Schiffer’s cat), Choupette and, of course, Taylor. Then there’s the official Twitter account for Argylle, which has been posting clips captioned with Taylor Swift lyrics from “Wonderland”, “Blank Space” and “Style”.

It’s clear that something is going on here, but what, exactly? Has the promotional team behind Argylle decided to lean into this elaborate conspiracy theory, having realised that it’s genius marketing? Is the real author of Argylle a Swiftie? Will one of Taylor’s cats make a cameo in the film? Is Taylor writing a song for Argylle, alongside Dua Lipa who was announced to be providing music for the release? We’re sure more Easter eggs will pop up in the run-up to the release date of 2 February 2024. In the meantime, let’s keep an eye on Taylor to see if that Conway sweatshirt or more argyle knits make a reappearance. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that she’s given us a clue to her future.