Edgar Wright's ‘The Chain' Set to Shoot in September

Any Edgar Wright fans here?

I’m being told Wright's next movie, an adaptation of Adrian McKinty's 2019 thriller novel “The Chain,” will start shooting in September. There had originally been rumors that Emma Stone was set to star, but they were quickly debunked.

What we do know about the film is that it concerns a single mother whose 12-year-old child is kidnapped, forcing her to kidnap another child to have hers released and continue … The Chain.

The project had been originally announced by Universal in June 2020. In McKinty's novel, the mother’s name is Rachel, a single mother with cancer who receives a call that her daughter Kylie has been kidnapped. To rescue her daughter, she must kidnap another, however, Kylie will only be released once the parents of that child kidnap yet another one, thus continuing "The Chain."

This sounds like “The Ring” but instead of a tape it’s kidnapping. The official synopsis goes along with that kooky premise:

"YOUR PHONE RINGS.

A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD.

TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD.

YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM’S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD.

IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON’T HAPPEN:
YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED.

YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN"

I find Wright to be an incredibly talented visual filmmaker, but he also has an annoying penchant for infantilism and silliness. There’s a film geek sensibility to his movies that sometimes rubs me the wrong way. With that being said, his best film is probably “Baby Driver” and its incredible usage of practical effects (save for the absurdly over-the-top final 20 minutes).

Wright is coming off the worst-reviewed movie of his career: 2019’s “Last Night in Soho.” He still has his ardent fans who will go see whatever he does next, he’s built up this base of support with such films as “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs The World” and “Shaun of the Dead.”

Wright has mentioned that he is working on a "Baby Driver" sequel “A first draft of "Baby Driver 2” exists with a different set of characters than the first one. That could be his next one after … The Chain.