Shawn of the Dead

Shawn of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Shaun, a downtrodden salesman in London who is caught in a zombie apocalypse with his friend Ed (Nick Frost). The film co-stars Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. It is the first installment in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, followed by Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World's End (2013). Shaun of the Dead developed from ideas Pegg and Wright used for their television series Spaced, particularly an episode where Pegg's slacker character hallucinates a zombie invasion. The film references the Dead films directed by George A. Romero. Principal photography took place across London and at Ealing Studios between May and June 2003. The film premiered in London on 29 March 2004 and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2004 and in the United States on 24 September. It was met with acclaim and commercial success, grossing $30 million worldwide on a budget of $6.1 million and receiving two nominations at the British Academy Film Awards. It was ranked third on the Channel 4 list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films and quickly acquired a cult following. In film studies, the film is seen as a product of post-9/11 anxiety, as well as a model for transnational comedy. The spread of zombiism in the film has been used as a modelling example for disease control.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of Shawn of the Dead »