Edgar Wright

Edgar Wright has evolved from a young film geek wanting to prove himself to one of the most sought-after geeks working in film today. Raised in Somerset, England, as a young teenager he embarked on making short films with a Super 8 camera. He continued to make many more shorts after he won a Video 8 camera in a Comic Relief contest, awarded him for his film I Want to Get Into the Movies, which was an animated allegory about wheelchair access.

At age 20, he directed A Fistful of Fingers, a no-budget feature film starring local teen actors and shot on 16mm. The unlikely British Western was put into limited theatrical release and paved the way for his foray into television with the Paramount Comedy Channel. While there, Mr. Wright directed the sketch show Mash and Peas, with future Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams; and the sitcom Asylum, for which he joined forces with future collaborators Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes.

While still in his early 20s, he directed several comedy shows for the BBC including Merry-Go-Round, Is It Bill Bailey?, Murder Most Horrid, Sir Bernard’s Stately Homes, and French and Saunders.

Mr. Wright gained notice in the U.K. when he directed the two seasons of Spaced for Channel 4. The series, which starred and was written by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, won two British Comedy Awards, and was nominated BAFTA Awards and an International Emmy Award. Over the years, the show built up an international cult following and in 2008 the trio toured the U.S. in honor of the DVD release.

The series served as a launching pad for the 2004 movie Shaun of the Dead, which Mr. Wright directed and co-wrote with Simon Pegg, who starred with Spaced alumnus Nick Frost. The Working Title “rom zom com” was a sleeper box office success; was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, including Outstanding British Film of the Year; and won the British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best Screenplay. Cited by Time Magazine as one of the Top 25 Horror Films of all time, the movie also earned an Empire Award for Best British Film and a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. Original zombie master George Romero went so far as to proclaim it his “favorite zombie film.”

It was followed by the action comedy Hot Fuzz, which Mr. Wright again directed and co-wrote with Simon Pegg, who reteamed with Nick Frost to play the lead roles. The Working Title movie topped the U.K. box office charts for three weeks and grossed $90 million worldwide. The film won a National Movie Award and an Empire Award, both for Best Comedy. Mr. Wright directed the faux trailer “Don’t” for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s epic Grindhouse; and, for producer Peter Jackson and director Steven Spielberg, co-wrote The Adventures of Tintin with Steven Moffat and Joe Cornish.

His next feature as director was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a unique blend of romance, comedy, action, and fantasy which he produced and co-wrote with Michael Bacall. Based on the graphic novels of Bryan Lee O’Malley, the movie starred Michael Cera in the title role and also showcased such rising stars as Brie Larson, Ellen Wong, and Aubrey Plaza. The screenplay received a Bradbury Award nomination from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the film received, among other honors, the Empire Award for Best Director; a Comedy Central Comedy Award for Best Director; two Scream Awards; a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Film – Wide Release; and two Satellite Awards including Best Picture – Comedy or Musical.

Mr. Wright executive-produced Joe Cornish’s feature directorial debut Attack the Block; and Ben Wheatley’s acclaimed Sightseers, starring Alice Lowe and Steve Oram, both of whom can be seen in The World’s End. His upcoming projects include the long-awaited screen incarnation of Marvel Comics’ Ant-Man for Marvel Studios, on which he is director, screenwriter, and producer; and Baby Driver, for Working Title Films. In 2011, Mr. Wright was honored with the Empire Awards’ Inspiration Award.

Most recently, Wright has written the story and screenplay for the Marvel movie, "Ant-Man."