Although there’s never been a proper sequel toShaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright’s idea for a follow-up movie made an appearance in a huge superhero blockbuster.Shaun of the Deadwas the first movie inWright’s Cornetto trilogy, but this is merely a thematic trilogy with no continuity between the events or characters.
Shaun of the Deadis filled with great jokes, many of which come from Wright’s snappy directing style, but it’s also a surprisingly effective horror movie when it wants to be. Wright is clearly a big fan of classic zombie movies, so his loving parody pays tribute to the greats while producing a lot of original ideas.
Into The Spider-Verse Creates Many Slightly Different Universes
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg initially tossed around the idea of aShaun of the Deadsequel, tentatively titledFrom Dusk Till Shaun, but they never followed through on the project. 14 years later, the unmade sequel made an appearance in the background ofSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Into the Spider-Versedirector Rodney Rothman wanted to fill the many different universes of the movie with small details that seem slightly askew from our own world. To do so, he contacted several filmmakers to ask for their unmade sequel ideas, adaptations and failed pitches. Essentially, he wanted to see what these directors would have made in different universes.
Edgar Wright responded to Rothman’s prompt with the idea ofFrom Dusk Till Shaun.Rothman put the unmade sequel on a billboard in Times Square in Peter B. Parker’s universe. It’s easy to miss, but fans of the Cornetto trilogy will recognize Shaun’s iconic red tie and cricket bat in an instant.
It’s a little hard to make out, especially since it’s only on screen for a second, but it seems as though Ed is still a zombie in the sequel. This shows that it isn’t an alternative version ofShaun of the Dead,but a sequel that carries on from the events of the first movie.
Wright and Pegg started joking aboutFrom Dusk Till Shaunwhile still filming the first movie, but they never seriously pursued the project. They have always maintained their stance thatShaun of the Deaddoesn’t need a sequelor a reboot of any kind, despite pleas from fans for more.
Pegg has expressed the idea that aShaun of the Deadsequel would feel less personal, since the original draws inspiration from his own life. It’s also possible that Wright and Pegg never would have gone on to make the movies they have, both together and separately, if they were fixated on sequels from the outset.
