Shaun of the Dead (2004)
- If you look closely during the crowded sequence in the second act of Shaun of the Dead, the original author of the source material makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo.
- The lead role in Shaun of the Dead was originally offered to a massive A-list star who turned it down because they didn't understand the script.
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British romantic zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, the first installment of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. Simon Pegg stars as Shaun, an aimless electronics store employee in his late twenties whose failure to grow up has cost him his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, and the respect of everyone around him. When a zombie apocalypse overtakes London, Shaun devises a plan to rescue Liz, collect his mother, and hole up at the Winchester, his favorite pub, to wait for the whole thing to blow over.
Edgar Wright's directorial style was a revelation โ rapid-fire editing, visual puns, foreshadowing gags that paid off hours later, and a density of jokes that rewarded multiple viewings established a comedic filmmaking vocabulary that would influence a generation of comedy directors. The film was simultaneously a loving homage to George Romero's zombie films and a sharp satire of modern aimlessness โ the opening sequence establishing Shaun's routine makes the point that he's essentially already a zombie before the actual zombies arrive. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's friendship as Shaun and Ed provided the film's emotional core.
Shaun of the Dead earned $30 million worldwide on a $6 million budget and launched both Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg as internationally recognized talents.
