Two decades after “Shaun of the Dead” shuffled onto screens and rewrote the rules of horror comedy, fans still cling to hope that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright might revive the cult classic. That hope was just dealt a swift blow.
Speaking to Variety, Pegg was clear: a sequel to “Shaun of the Dead” isn’t happening. “We’ve told that story. It had a proper beginning, middle, and end,” Pegg said. “Adding to it would risk diluting what made it work — like what “Alien 3” did to “Aliens.”
Pegg and Wright, who together carved out the beloved “Cornetto Trilogy” — “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “The World’s End” — are reportedly cooking up a new comedy. Just don’t expect any zombies. “When Edgar and I do our next movie, we’ll probably disappoint everyone,” Pegg added with a laugh.
While the Shaun universe is staying six feet under, Pegg confirmed his creative trio with Wright and Frost isn’t finished. “It’s not a matter of if, just when,” he said. He also revealed this new project the three have been working on is a comedy.
Wright was recently at Pegg’s house for three days to “settle on a basic premise” for their next comedy. In fact, Pegg added that he “promised” Wright he “wouldn’t make another comedy” before they shoot this next film.
Wright, meanwhile, is rebooting Stephen King’s “The Running “Man with Glen Powell in the lead — a connection that circles back to Pegg. Powell’s breakout came via “Top Gun: Maverick,” where he was mentored by none other than Pegg’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ co-star Tom Cruise.