Movies - TV
Making The World's End A Sci-Fi Film Wasn't Always Edgar Wright's Plan
By JEFF KELLY
From the George Romero-inspired zombie film “Shaun of the Dead” to the buddy cop homage “Hot Fuzz,” it’s evident that Edgar Wright has a deep affection for the genres he’s satirizing. The Cornetto Trilogy’s final movie, “The World’s End,” is such a masterful tribute to sci-fi classics it’s difficult to believe that Wright’s original idea was a coming-of-age story.
“The World’s End” is about a group of childhood friends who reunite to complete a pub crawl in their hometown after failing as teenagers. The movie was personal for the filmmaker, as it stemmed from a real-life instance. Wright shared, “Some friends of mine and I did something very similar when we were 18. Our adventure ended just as badly as the one does in the film.”
When promoting “Hot Fuzz,” Wright had an idea: “What would happen if those kids had grown up and then tried to recreate that situation as responsible adults, as a way of chasing their former glories?” This idea led to aliens replacing everyone in the film to convey the feeling of estrangement one may experience when returning home after a long period and seeing changes.