Shaun of the Dead | 2004
"Shaun of the Dead" is a romantic zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright in 2004, co-written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Pegg plays Shaun, a disillusioned salesman in London who gets caught up in a zombie apocalypse with his loved ones. The film features Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. It is the first film in Wright and Pegg's "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy, followed by "Hot Fuzz" (2007) and "The World's End" (2013).
"Shaun of the Dead" was inspired by ideas from the TV sitcom "Spaced," created by Pegg and Wright between 1999 and 2001, particularly an episode where Pegg's character hallucinates a zombie invasion. The film references George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" series. Principal photography took place over nine weeks in London and Ealing Studios between May and June 2003.
"Shaun of the Dead" premiered in London on March 29, 2004, and was released in the UK on April 9, 2004, and in the US on September 24, 2004. The film received critical acclaim and was commercially successful, grossing $38.7 million worldwide on a budget of $6.1 million, and was nominated for two BAFTA Awards. It ranked third on Channel 4's list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films and quickly developed a cult following. Film studies consider it a product of post-9/11 anxiety and a model of transnational comedy. The zombie outbreak depicted in the film has been used as a case study for disease control modeling.
In the Crouch End area of London, 29-year-old electronics salesman Shaun is ignored by his colleagues, has a strained relationship with his stepfather Philip, and fails to plan a decent anniversary date, leading to his girlfriend Liz breaking up with him. Heartbroken, Shaun drinks with his lazy best friend Ed at their favorite pub, the Winchester. At home, their roommate Pete, who has been bitten by a mugger, advises Shaun to stop relying on Ed and get his life together.
The next day, a zombie apocalypse sweeps through London. Shaun and Ed are oblivious until they encounter two zombies in their garden, using household items and Shaun's record collection to fend them off. They rescue Shaun's mother Barbara and Liz, planning to take refuge at the Winchester. They steal Pete's car, now driven by a zombie, and pick up Liz and her roommates David and Dianne. Before turning into a zombie, Philip reconciles with Shaun.
While sneaking past their neighbors, Shaun briefly encounters a group led by his friend Yvonne, with members resembling each other. Shaun defends Barbara from zombies, stabbing one with a swingball post. After mimicking zombies to bypass a horde, Shaun and Ed argue when Ed answers a phone call. David panics and breaks a window, prompting Shaun to lure the horde away as he returns.
Once inside the Winchester, Shaun realizes the zombies have followed him, and Ed distracts them by playing a slot machine. Shaun discovers a working Winchester rifle while fighting the pub's zombie owner. Barbara reveals her bite, approves Shaun and Liz's relationship, and dies. David attempts to shoot Barbara, but Shaun stops him, accusing David of hating him and loving Liz. David denies it, but Dianne admits she knows it's true. Shaun must shoot Barbara when she turns into a zombie, leading to a fight with David.
Zombies break through the pub's windows, dragging David out to be devoured. In a desperate attempt to save him, Dianne opens the pub door, using David's severed leg as a weapon against the horde. As the door opens, zombies flood in. Zombie Pete reappears, and Shaun shoots Ed after he bites him. Shaun, Liz, and Ed hide behind the bar, and Shaun uses alcohol to create a barrier. The three retreat to the basement, realizing they have only two bullets left. Shaun and Liz contemplate suicide, while Ed volunteers to die fighting zombies. Shaun and Liz find a small keg lift leading outside, and Ed buys them time with a gun. Yvonne arrives with the British Army, killing zombies and safely escorting Shaun and Liz away.
Six months later, civilization has returned to normal, but surviving zombies are used for free labor and entertainment. Liz moves in with Shaun, who has chained up Ed, now a zombie, in his garden shed. Ed retains some awareness, and the two play video games together in the shed.
"Shaun of the Dead" was inspired by the "Spaced" episode "Art," written by Pegg and Jessica Hynes, where Pegg's character hallucinates a zombie invasion after playing the video game "Resident Evil 2" under the influence of amphetamines. Based on mutual respect for George A. Romero's "Dead Trilogy," Pegg and Wright decided to create their own zombie film. Late in 1999, they pitched the film to Film4, but the budget was cut. Nevertheless, Wright remained committed to the project, vowing not to take on other TV directing jobs until "Shaun of the Dead" was made, which led to him accumulating debt. According to Wright, other companies were unsure of the film's tone, stating it wasn't scary or funny enough. Eighteen months later, Working Title Films took over the project, and Wright found it ironic that the film parodied classic British romantic comedies produced by Working Title. The film was first presented at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Wright conceived the film while taking a taxi with Pegg after filming the zombie episode of "Spaced." He began developing the idea while watching horror films with Pegg and Nick Frost. After playing "Resident Evil" late at night, he became curious about how British people would react to a zombie apocalypse. He considered the lack of firearms in American zombie films and drew from his experience of walking to the store in a daze one morning, which became a scene in the film. Another influence came from missing the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, leading to confusion when he saw cows burning on TV. This inspired Wright to think, "The world could end, and these two guys might be the last to know." The film features moments where they skip over TV news. The idea of Shaun and Ed spending time at the Winchester was inspired by the actors' lives, as Pegg and Frost often frequented the same pub, according to Wright.
Wright and Pegg wrote the script in eight weeks. They drew inspiration from films like "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), "Raising Arizona" (1987), "Back to the Future" (1985), "Braindead" (1992), and "Saddle" (1963). The cast gathered for a script reading three weeks before filming began, during which they made revisions. According to Pegg, the script had a structure where specific lines and actions were repeated throughout the film, making improvisation difficult. Only two scenes were improvised, including one where Ed describes the pub patrons and another where Shaun offers peanuts to the group. Pegg noted that the script fit well with his acting abilities, allowing him to fulfill his aspirations.
