Although he’s only in his mid-thirties, award winning filmmaker Edgar Wright’s list of credits reads like that of a seasoned veteran. With projects like the UK series turned international cult phenomenon Spaced, the rom-zom-com Shaun of the Dead, and action/comedy opus Hot Fuzz, he’s evolved from a young film geek wanting to prove himself into one of the most sought after geeks working in film today.
In August 2010 Wright released his first U.S. production of the comic book movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World for Universal Pictures, which he co-wrote with Michael Bacall and stars an ensemble cast including Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Kieren Culkin, and more.
Raised in Somerset, England, Wright embarked on his first epic at age 14 with a Super 8 short entitled, Rolf Harris Saves the World. He continued to make many more shorts after he won a Video 8 camera in a Comic Relief contest for his film I Want to Get into the Movies, an animated allegory about wheelchair access.
At age 20 he made A Fistful of Fingers, a no budget feature film starring local teen actors and shot on 16mm. The unlikely British western was put on limited theatrical release and paved the way for his foray into television with the Paramount Comedy Channel. There he would direct the fledgling sketch show Mash & Peas for future Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams and Asylum where he would join forces with future collaborators Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson.
Still in his early twenties, Wright also directed several comedy shows for the BBC including, Alexei Sayle’s Merry Go Round, Is It Bill Bailey?, Murder Most Horrid, and Sir Bernard’s Stately Homes, as well as French and Saunders Christmas Special”.
Wright gained notice in the UK when he directed two seasons of Spaced for Channel 4. The series, which starred Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, won two British Comedy Awards, was twice nominated at the BAFTA awards and once at the International Emmys. Over the years the show built an international cult following and in 2008 Wright, along with the Pegg and Stevenson, embarked on a four city tour of the U.S. in honor of the DVD release.
The series served as a launching pad for Wright’s first feature film as well as his continued collaboration with Simon Pegg with Shaun of the Dead, which he directed and co-wrote with Pegg. The film gained attention and critical praise internationally and was nominated for two BAFTA awards. Named by TIME magazine as one of the top 25 horror films of all time, it earned an Empire Award for Best British Film and a British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay as well as a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. Original zombie master George Romero went as far as to proclaim it as his “favorite zombie film.”
After a two year writing process and a year in production, Wright returned in 2007 with Hot Fuzz, which he again directed and co-wrote with Pegg. The film grossed £21 million pounds at the UK box office alone, topped the charts for three weeks and grossed 90 million dollars worldwide. The film won a 2007 National Movie Award and a 2008 Empire Award, both for Best Comedy.
While his first two films made him a fan favorite, thanks in part to the notoriously fun international press tours he’s known for, Wright was also being sought after by his peers. He was tapped by directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to contribute the faux trailer DON’T, for the epic GRINDHOUSE and most recently, he was brought on-board by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg to co-write The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn with Joe Cornish.
Wright’s other upcoming projects include The World’s End with Pegg, the third film in their trilogy, the screen adaptation of The Astonishing Ant Man for Marvel Films, and Baby Driver for Working Title.
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