About the Director
Although he’s only in his early 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.
Wright is currently directing his first U.S. production of the comic book movie “Scott Pilgrim Versus The World” for Universal Pictures, which he co-wrote with Michael Bacall and stars Michael Cera.
Raised in Somerset, England, Wright embarked on his first epic at age14 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. It also went on to win an Empire Award for Best British Film and a British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay. 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 embarks on, Wright also found himself 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, which is currently in production with Jackson producing and Spielberg directing.
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.
