Edgar Wright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edgar Wright
Wright in 2017
Born	Edgar Howard Wright (1974-04-18) 18 April 1974 (age 51) Poole, Dorset, England
Alma mater	Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design
Occupation	Director producer writer
Years active	1994–present

Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is a famous English filmmaker. He is known for making exciting and funny movies. His films often have fast-paced action, cool music, and a unique editing style. He uses special camera moves like Steadicam shots and dolly zooms.

Edgar Wright started by making short films. His first full movie was A Fistful of Fingers in 1995. He also created and directed the TV comedy series Asylum in 1996. Later, he directed the popular sitcom Spaced (1999–2001). This show starred his friends and frequent collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

In 2004, Wright directed Shaun of the Dead, a funny zombie movie. This film was the first in his "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy. He co-wrote it with Simon Pegg. The other two films in this trilogy are the action-comedy Hot Fuzz (2007) and the science fiction comedy The World's End (2013).

Wright also directed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), based on a popular graphic novel. He helped write the movie The Adventures of Tintin (2011) for Steven Spielberg. In 2017, he wrote and directed the action-packed film Baby Driver. More recently, he made the documentary The Sparks Brothers and the spooky film Last Night in Soho (both 2021).

Growing Up and Learning About Film

Edgar Howard Wright was born on 18 April 1974 in Poole, Dorset, England. He grew up mostly in Wells in Somerset. He has an older brother named Oscar, who is an artist. Edgar went to The Blue School, Wells from 1985 to 1992. His old drama teacher from school even had a small part in his movie Hot Fuzz.

When he was 12, Edgar started making short films. He used a Super-8 camera given to him by his family. Later, he won a Video-8 camcorder in a TV show competition. These early films were often funny copies of popular movie styles. For example, he made a superhero film called Carbolic Soap and a tribute to Dirty Harry called Dead Right.

From 1992 to 1994, Wright studied Audio-Visual Design at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. This school is now called Arts University Bournemouth. In 2018, the university gave him an honorary award. He said he still remembers his time there very fondly.

Edgar Wright's Film Career

Early Movies and TV Shows (1995–2002)

Edgar Wright's first full movie was A Fistful of Fingers in 1995. It was a low-budget comedy western. Even though Edgar wasn't completely happy with it, the film got noticed. Comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams saw it and asked him to direct their TV show Mash and Peas. He also worked on other BBC shows.

In 1998, writer/actors Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes were creating their sitcom Spaced. They remembered working with Edgar on Asylum and asked him to direct. Edgar gave Spaced a unique look for a sitcom. He used dramatic camera angles and movements, like those seen in sci-fi and horror films. He even included a "Homage-O-Meter" on his releases to show all the movie references he made!

The Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim (2003–2013)

Wright in 2013

The success of Spaced helped Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg make their first big movie, Shaun of the Dead. This was a "zombie comedy" that mixed British romantic comedy with tributes to classic horror films. The movie was a big hit with critics and audiences around the world.

After this, Edgar and Simon planned a trilogy of British comedies. These films were connected by similar themes and jokes, not by a continuing story. They called it the "Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy".

The second film was the action-comedy Hot Fuzz, released in 2007. It's about a super-cop named Nicholas Angel who moves from London to a quiet village where strange things start to happen. In 2007, Edgar also directed a fake movie trailer called "Don't" for the film Grindhouse. It made fun of common horror movie scenes.

In 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was released. This movie was much bigger, based on the popular graphic novel series. Edgar co-wrote, co-produced, and directed it. Even though it didn't make a lot of money at the box office, many other directors loved it.

In 2011, Edgar co-wrote The Adventures of Tintin with Joe Cornish and Steven Moffat. This animated film was directed by Steven Spielberg.

The third film in the Cornetto trilogy, The World's End, came out in 2013. It's about a group of friends who try to repeat a pub crawl they did 20 years earlier. But their night takes a very unexpected turn!

New Projects: Ant-Man and Baby Driver (2014–2017)

For a long time, Edgar Wright was working on a movie about the Marvel Comics superhero Ant-Man. He had been developing it with Joe Cornish since 2006. However, in 2014, Edgar decided to leave the project because he and Marvel had different ideas about the film. He explained that he wanted to make an "Edgar Wright movie," but Marvel wanted to make a "Marvel movie." He was replaced by another director, but he still received credit for the story and screenplay.

In 2014, Edgar announced his next film would be Baby Driver. He described it as "kind of like a musical" mixed with crime, action, and music. The film started production in 2016 and was released in 2017. It starred actors like Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx.

Recent Work (2018–Present)

In 2018, Edgar announced he would make a documentary about the unique pop rock band Sparks. The film premiered in 2021.

In 2019, he announced his next movie would be a horror thriller film set in London. It was inspired by classic spooky films. The movie, titled Last Night in Soho, was released in 2021. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, and Thomasin McKenzie.

In 2020, Edgar Wright started a new production company called Complete Fiction with his friends Nira Park, Joe Cornish, and Rachel Prior. This company is working on new TV shows for Netflix and other movies.

In 2022, Edgar joined the British Film Institute's Board of Governors. He said he was excited to help promote their work in film. In 2023, he announced that Scott Pilgrim would return as an anime series called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off for Netflix. The original actors from the movie returned to voice their characters, and Edgar was an executive producer.

In 2021, Edgar also signed on to direct a new movie based on Stephen King's book The Running Man. He plans to re-imagine the story for today's audiences.

Personal Life and Influences

Edgar Wright has shared that the film that influenced him the most was John Landis's An American Werewolf in London. He also mentioned Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II and the Coen brothers' Raising Arizona as movies that made him want to become a director.

Edgar often guest-programs at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. He curates special film series, showing his favorite movies and hosting talks with other filmmakers. He has shown films recommended by friends like Bill Hader and Quentin Tarantino.

Edgar Wright has made small appearances (cameos) in every film directed by his friend Garth Jennings. In return, Garth Jennings has made cameos in Edgar's films like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer only

• Attack the Block (2011)
• Sightseers (2012)

Television

Executive producer

• Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Edgar Wright in 2017

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  Edgar Wright in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Edgar Wright para niños

• Edgar Wright's unrealized projects