EDGAR WRIGHT
A CAREER IN FILM
By Lee Parham
With his latest film Last Night in Soho hitting theaters, we take a look back on the relatively small but fantastic filmography of director Edgar Wright.
Like many filmmakers, Edgar Wright began creating amateur films at a very young age, filming with a Super-8 camera. Many of Wright's films were comedic, often spoofing the classics.
After receiving a degree in audio-visual design, Wright produced an indie western spoof film called A Fist Full of Fingers, playing on Clint Eastwood classics.
Although the movie never received a significant release and Wright articulated his dissatisfaction with the project, it went on to gain him recognition early in his career.
For almost ten years, Wright then lent his talents to several short-lived British television programs, such as Asylum, Mash and Peas, and Sir Bernard's Stately Homes.
Wright's most considerable success on TV came with the surrealist sitcom Spaced, which was created by Simon Pegg, and starred Pegg and his close friend Nick Frost.
While the show was canceled after just two seasons, Wright's relationship with Pegg and Frost would pay major dividends in the future.
The trio teamed up for a motion picture in 2004 called Shaun of the Dead, a spoof on zombie cinema. Shaun of the Dead exceeded all expectations and quickly became a cult classic.
2007 witnessed another genre spoof from Wright and company, this time parodying buddy cop flicks with Hot Fuzz. Wright credits using over 100 action films as inspiration for the script.
Wright, Pegg, and Frost would come together one last time in 2013 for The World's End, a movie about a pub crawl interrupted by an apocalyptic alien invasion.
Their three cinematic collaborations were known as the The Cornetto Trilogy, with the beloved ice cream and other gags as recurring items tying each anthology entry together.
In the meantime, Wright adapted the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel into Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The movie failed at the box office but was praised by fans and critics alike.
Wright was also set to helm another comic adaptation, this time Ant-Man for Marvel Studios. Creative differences led to Wright exiting the project, but he still received a writing credit.
Instead of Ant-Man, Wright created an original story in Baby Driver with Ansel Elgort in the title role. Lauded for its killer soundtrack, Baby Driver became Wright's highest-grossing film to date.
Wright has been involved with two films released this year, including the director’s first foray into documentary filmmaking with The Sparks Brothers, about the pop and rock duo.
Wright is also dipping his toes in the world of horror cinema with Last Night in Soho starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy in a time-warping murder mystery.
Edgar Wright has displayed a unique directing style equipped to handle any film, from horror and action spoofs to making beloved movies within those actual genres.