Happy Sad Confused - Edgar Wright, Vol. IV

Episode Date: November 27, 2023

Edgar Wright returns to celebrate the return of his SCOTT PILGRIM cast in the new animated Netflix series, SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF, plus a look back at THE WORLD'S END ten years later. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! DraftKings -- Download the DraftKings Casino app NOW and sign up with promo code HappySad Factor -- Head to ⁠FactorMeals.com/HappySad50⁠ and use code happysad50 to get 50% off! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. People forget that Alien was an original screenplay back in 1979 or that Terminator was an original screenplay back in 1984 that Star Wars was an original screenplay in 1977. So the fact that like the studios like don't want to take those gambols, like would anybody make the Matrix now?

Like at the budget it was in 1999, it seems unlikely, which is sad, you know? Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins. I'm Josh Horowitz. Today on Happy, Sad, Confused, it's one of our favorites. Edgar Wright is back. The World's End is 10 years old, so we're pouring a pint out for it. That is exactly the wrong message of the film, but we're going to do it anyway.

Plus, we'll do some Scott Pilgrim appreciating as a new Netflix adaptation drops with some very familiar voices. Edgar Wright, welcome back to Happy Say, Confused. Thanks for having me. Nice to be back. That's good to see you, man. for a guy that doesn't have a new film out, we have a lot to talk about. This is a... I know, it's nice.

I actually feel so it's not as much pressure like it's actually, you know, like not having... It's nice to talk and not have to kind of like think about all of the talking points you have to hit. So I appreciate that. No, no, there's pressure. We have to get like 10 more tickets sold to World's End. We've got to get like 100 more people

to join the Cornetto trilogy 10 years later. Well, in 2021, I had two films out and it was in the pandemic and I was totally zoomed out by the end of the year. It was sort of, you know, listen, I'm not working in a coal mine. So I'm, and there are worse things to be doing. But it's a strange thing. I know it's like the future, but like doing like Zoom press like for months and months on end, start to get really lonely and depressing.

I don't know if you find the same way. Oh, 100%. Actually, we did the first Q&A in person. in New York that I had been, it was the first time I had been back in the country that night for 22 months. I was just, I was just reminiscing with Greg, our mutual friend.

Yeah, that was the first time out and about. And I feel like we were all still like, hey, like 10 feet apart, are we able? And they were asking us to wear masks for the Q&A and it was like, it was very odd, but. But it was really sort of strange, it was emotional to be back in a cinema.

Yeah. And I hadn't been to the company. for like 22 months so it was and it was that night it was I floated that night and saw you that was crazy well we're back in our Zoom boxes but we'll see each other in person again sir I thought so no no no we'll link up one of these days first I want to congratulate you look I take pride in my guest list but you won up to me you got Scorsese you had a great chat with Marty recently about Killers of the Flower Moon back in the UK are you guys on I mean you know each other I know you've, you've, you've had a relationship.

Do you still, do you call him Marty? Do you feel comfortable at this point? Yeah. I mean, I guess I met him the first time, maybe back in like 2004, 2004, 2005 when Sean came out, but only briefly and didn't meet him again until 2019 when the Irishman came out. And then sort of since then, I guess in that way, I just, that maybe like he recognizes in me that. for somebody who is equally obsessive

about any time they have two or three hours for you, they were watching a movie. It sort of turned in, the pandemic turned into this thing of, I sent him this letter and asked him like for a list of formative British films that were not

David Lean and Powell and Pressburger. And he responded like with, you know, a list of 50 and notes. And that sort of turned into, I guess it was almost like having some kind of like, book club where you know

you know it's also a great thing for then for him to say to me at the end of he says if you have any other films that you think I should see and then that's a real question to ask is like

what film am I going to suggest to my article says to you that he hasn't seen that's kind of quite a big question but weirdly like we have been sort of trading back and forth with mostly about British films and there's things that I've suggested to him

like there was this film that the BFI released re-released last year called The Appointment, and I had told him to watch it, and he was completely knocked out by it, and I got to tell the director of that film who had not made a film since, I had not made a film in 42 years, the Martin Scorsese saw a film and thought it was knockout, and I said to Marty, but I said, you should write him a note. He would, like, make his year, and he did, and he sent him in, like, a letter, and this guy was just like, I'm framing this, like, Matt Scorsese just sent me a letter saying, like,

I loved your film. It really blew me away. And I don't know. I mean, I guess that's the thing is what's really nice about it in a way is that, you know, is just to what you would want to talk to Scorsese about. But this is the same with directors of us,

you know, who are like making films is one thing, but it never stops being about enjoying films. And you're always kind of like looking for the diamonds in the rough, always like looking back and sort of seeing like what else is out there, you know, and I guess the sort of like people of like minds tend to sort of congregate, you know, and discuss, you know.

So I feel very, I feel very flattered to kind of know him at all, even in a little way, you know? Speaking of Diamonds in the Rough, not that there are really any undiscovered Scorsese films, but do you have a hot take on any of his films? Like, are you like, New York, New York is an underappreciated masterpiece or gangs of New York deserves a little more love. What's your kind of, what's your hot tip?

Interesting for him is that there are obviously films that are now regarded as classics, which in their time, like, weren't or were dismissed. So, King of Comedy was infamously not a... Somebody in half-hour for two, I think, like, weren't necessarily, you know, as Francesca's TikTok said, we're slept on. but I think that's the thing that I think is interesting is that in fact I realized the other day

because we were talking about it that King of Comedy was the first Scorsese movie I ever saw because I didn't we didn't have a VHS in my house, a VHS player and so I saw King of Comedy when it was on TV when I was about 12 and I think that was the first Scorsese movie I ever saw and even though I didn't really have anything to compare it to it it really knocked me out even though themes of that like as a 12 year old I don't know who Jerry Lewis was

like some big yeah big Jerry Lewis man but yeah so I guess that's the thing with his films it's like it's interesting to me when I did that talk with him and I

the biggest that challenge of that was it was a career talk and initially the slot was like an hour long and I was like how am I going to fit his career for an hour so I had to sort of narrow it down a little bit He also asked me to pick the clips.

He goes, maybe you can pick the clips. Because he asked me to moderate and he says, maybe you can pick the clips for me. Which is also, when there's only like six clips and one of them is the new film, it's like, well, what classic are we not going to show? Like, so I can't not show mean streets and I can't, I have to show a taxi driver.

So that means that already like raging bull and, you know, like Goodfellas are out. Because I thought, like, let's show King of Comedy. But what was interesting is that he obviously hadn't, He hadn't, he was watching the clips like he was sort of watching them for the first time or certainly the first time in many years. And so my biggest joy of that talk

was watching him watch the clips. Like when the King of Comedy clip came on and it's that amazing sort of sequence where Rupert Pupkin is recording the talk show on, you know, the intro to the talk show on a tape recorder and his mom is interrupting. And then it cuts to that shot in the, like a, magical realism shot of like big black and white blow up photo and it pulls back

and Rupert Pupkin's there and Scorsesie sitting next to me and when it has that shot he goes, wow, wow. And then he looks at me and he goes, pretty good, right? And I said, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I may have, I may have paraphrase that. I don't think he said pretty good right, but he definitely said, wow, I've looked to be like as if for confirmation. I said, Yeah, I know. Do you think about, look, so he's one of that, that handful that we talk about, about the filmmakers that have an atrophy that, in fact, are still at the top of their game in their 80s. And, well, you know, we've talked before about George Miller, our mutual obsession.

Do you think about that with respect to your career? You've got a long way to go to 80, but like, do you do you kind of sense the difference between those that lose it and those that stay present and, in fact, grow in their filmography? and how are you going to direct your way into the right path, you think? I guess, I guess, it's an interesting one, because obviously, like, Quentin has lots of theories about this and has talked at length about directors that, you know, he did a whole podcast on director's final movies,

and I always think that's interesting. And, you know, there are people who kind of flipped the script, like George Miller making Fury Road at 71 is just, like, I can't even figure it out myself because also, not only did he make that at 71, he also hadn't made a live action film for nearly 20 years. That to me, just like Beggar's belief,

is like, how did you do that and come along and just wipe the floor with everybody else? So, I don't know. I mean, I guess part of it is, like, it always comes down to the same thing, which you could say for younger directors as well, is that, you know, you have to do the films that you want to do and not do the films that you think you ought to do.

That's the key because there's got to be at heart like a sincerity to it or like a real fire to want to make that film. So sometimes, and I wouldn't mention any names because like it doesn't really, you know, sometimes you can feel that somebody is doing something because they feel like, well, will this be a hit, you know? And I think at times when directors are really sort of engaged and doing something really powerful. And I think that's the thing is, you know, for like Martin Scorsese, filmmaking is an obsession. And it's something where it's, you know, like, so I don't think that that, for that,

for him, it doesn't go away. You know, like, I mean, I respect Quentin saying that he's going to retire, but like, I hope that if he changed his mind, he would just like wake up and say, you know what, I have another one. I think he, you know, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, interesting you know i think it's it's interesting like somebody like hitchcock i i feel like um his second from last movie frenzy i really and i think it's like properly like edgy and feels really spirited and his black humor is at its blackest in that film the final one feels like it's a bit kind of um was that family plot or family plot yeah yeah because it has a big set piece in it with a car chase and the car chase has back projection

and you think like, well, this is like five years after French connection, and I don't think this flies anymore. But Frenzy, which he's already in his 70s when he made that, that is like a savage film that a younger director would be really proud of. So, you know, it's interesting. I mean, I can't predict. Listen, the honest answers to this is that you'll always feel grateful that any time you're making a movie full stop.

That's the thing, especially as the business rapidly changes and the sounds are always shifting. I don't feel any, like, I always feel that when I, I mean, even when the last movie came out and we had that Q&A, it's still in the pandemic. Nobody really knows what's going to happen. Like, nobody really knows the cinema is gone forever. So you just feel like, hey, I'm just grateful to be here.

Like, I can't tell you what's going to happen in the next year, let alone the next 10 years, you know? But I've always respected, like, the way you've kind of conducted yourself and your career and, like, as much as I've kind of teased you with it, and like, you know, tried to draw news out of you about big franchise stuff. Like, you've stayed very true to yourself and very, like, you know, there are the stories of you, like, turning down a Mission Impossible movie, being up for a Star Trek movie.

And, like, while those would have been cool endeavors, I'm happy. You don't remember the Star Trek one? Okay. I don't think, I don't think, though. But, yeah, but I mean, I think usually about, like, I mean, in terms of, Sorry, you were going to ask questions. I was going to say, to clarify, you did turn down what became ghost protocols. Is that, is that true?

Yes, but I mean, it was, it was literally like a timing thing because to do it, I would have, I mean, you know, I might seem ironic now because I think I, to do it, I would have had to not done the press with Scott Pilgrim, like, sort of, I mean, I guess, but that said, you have to kind of be there for the movie. So it's just one of those things, like where. you know, like I also it's that thing

sometimes when you really enjoy a series and I love those films and I actually you know kind of like Chris and Tom like in London you know like I've seen sort of like no McHugh's talked about giving you like you've looked at the rough cuts

and give it some very valuable advice he's been very open about that I mean it's it's amazing to sort of like be included in those like that you know it's a a great email to get from like Chris McCorry saying and hey we need another song for the

jukebox in Top Gun Maverick I'm saying give me give me 45 minutes like make a playlist of like songs that could be in Top Gun but um yeah the thing is is that like things that meant to things are sort of meant to be when they're meant to be and sometimes if you love a series you almost don't want to be the thing that could possibly fuck it up do you know what I mean like so so so I don't like sort of, I love the Mission Impossible series. I don't regret kind of passing on that thing because Brad Bird's phone was fucking great. And it's like, and I loved it.

And I was like first, you know, their like opening day to see it and like didn't ever sit there thinking, yeah, God, I could have done that. I was just thinking, this is great. So it's like, I think it's that thing where you know, and I've had that a number of times in my career, even with TV stuff where I've been asked to do episodes of my favorite TV shows.

And part of me in the back of my head thinking, well, this show has existed. really well without me for this so it's not going to like it's not going to die without me do you know i mean it's like i'm going to enjoy a new episode of it so i get i guess that's how and on the other thing of just i feel like i sort get superstitious about talking about future projects because with a certain movie that i didn't do um you know i did before i like left the movie I had done two different Comic-Con appearances. I had, like, sort of, like, press.

And, you know, I have no regrets about leaving the movie, and it was the right thing to do at the time. And over time, I had, like, have, like, zero regrets about it. But I do have regrets about doing the press. But that sort of feels foolish, like, where there's an interview that you did about a film that you hadn't started making yet. And so that's the thing where I get a bit superstitious

because I think, like, I don't want to ever do that. again, where I literally was in Hall H twice for a movie that I didn't even end up making. And that's the bit that embarrasses me. I get it. You shouldn't feel any shame about it, but at the same time, I get it. Let's talk a little bit. Don't think of the boy who's right, both.

Especially in this day and age where you could make a movie and it doesn't come out. So like, sort of, you know, I'll only believe it when we're in a cinema doing a Q&A for it, Josh. Yeah, no, I've heard someone say, like, I don't believe in until I do the director's commentary. And no one does directors commentaries anymore. I do. I do. I'm Amy Nicholson, the film critic for the L.A. Times. And I'm Paul Shear, an actor, writer, and director. You might know me from The League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters.

We come together to host Unspool, a podcast where we talk about good movies, critical hits. Fan favorites, must-season, and case you missed them. We're talking Parasite the Home Alone. From Greece to the Dark Night. So if you love movies like we do, come along on our cinematic adventure. Listen to Unspooled wherever you get your podcast. And don't forget to hit the follow button. Goodbye, summer movies, hello fall.

I'm Anthony Devaney. And I'm his twin brother, James. We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the Ultimate Movie Podcast, and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases. We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another, Timothy Salome playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and Jorgos Lanthamos' Bugonia. Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar.

In The Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLewis' return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about two. Tron Ares looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar Wrights, The Running Man, starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Let's talk about revisiting two of your great works, Scott Pilgrim v. The World, which is now living on in a different incarnation. I was just telling you, I ended up binging this entire thing. Scott Pilgrim takes off is fantastic. There are some surprises, to be sure, in this one. Talk to me a little bit about just your journey with Scott Pilgrim, because, look, we were talking way back when we were at that Comic Con together. And that's one of the infamous ones. I mean, luckily, we can now talk about this with a smile, I think, because people love this movie and it has lived on.

But you went on a journey with that where, like, at Comic-Con, it was going to be a billion-dollar movie. Everyone was like, you blew the roof off of the place. The reviews were great. And then box office was what it was. Did it feel like it took you a minute to kind of reconcile those mixed emotions around Scott Pilgrim? Well, I think, you know, there were things, I think the thing. with it was number one was like for your own mental health like don't read the trades the weekend your movie comes out so I made a decision I was smart enough like on the Friday thinking

I'm not going to read anything like anymore like I just because here's the thing we were still out promoting the movie so when it came out and it opened at number five and like you know like we were all disappointed but obviously like if you go on like a deadline or a box office mojo using much harder words than you want to hear. That said, the thing was, are we proud of the movie? Yes, we were. Are the cast proud of the movie? Yes, they were.

You know, sometimes if a film doesn't do well, the first thing that happens is that everybody involved runs for the hills. And, you know, there's one actor. I won't mention who, but he said something about a film. I asked him about a film that he had coming out, and he said, he goes, that might be a head out of, town for the weekend when that comes out and I was like oh boy like but the thing with Scott Pilgrim was is that the cast were really proud of it right and and so and it's funny like

again I won't mention this but there's a couple of filmmakers sometimes who like on the Sunday night kind of write their own epitart of the movie and how it did like on social media and And sometimes I texted that person said, delete that tweet. You will regret it. Like sort of like the life of a movie cannot be measured just in the first three days. And much of that wants to be that that's the metric of like, this is how it did this weekend. And that's the end of that. You know, like, and of course, and not putting myself in the same bracket as these films,

but there are so many films that we love that didn't do that well on first release. and are now like, you know, much better remembered or well thought of than whatever else was number one that week. And again, I'm not picking Scott Pilgrim in this bracket, but you could reel off a whole list of things, Blade Runner. The thing, Big Lobowski, big traveling little China didn't even crack the top 10 when it came out, which just blows my mind.

An abomination there. Or even then further back, you've got things like Susan Kane or like, it's a wonderful life. I mean, I'm not putting Scott Pilgrim in the same sentence as a cane, even though I just did. So, but the thing is, is that are you proud of the movie? And if so, then it becomes just about changing the language. So I was always like sort of thought, whenever people would ask me about it,

I would just try and avoid the F word and the B word in relation to how it did. It's just don't, don't be quoted even saying that. And so it just be the thing as saying, people say, so, you know, By the time we got to Europe, like the weekend after it came out, the whole cast there, obviously it's a question that then starts coming up. How do you feel about how it did this weekend? Like, are you disappointed how it did in the States? And then you just have to kind of say, hey, we're really proud of the movie

and, you know, we just want to get the word out on how people discover it. And that's the thing is I sort of, and I remember there was one time, like when it was the London premiere, it was the Wednesday after it had come out in the States. And the whole cast was there. Because I think Chris Evans was in London doing Captain America at that time. So everybody was there. And like Michael, Jason, Mary, Brandon, Bree, like, Kieran was there. Everybody was there.

And, you know, I just remember I was talking to kind of Anna about at the time. And I was thinking, I think maybe before the premiere, like, maybe I should say something to the cast just to sort of, you know, say, hey, I know it didn't do well last weekend. But I'm really proud of it. I know you're really proud of it. Let's go out there tonight in Leicester Square and have a great time. And so I was going to do this kind of rallying speech to sort of like say, hey, don't worry about the box office. Like, it's going to be okay.

Anyway, so organized to have a little drink in the sort of the library of this hotel, get all the cars together half an hour before we left. And I was ready to do this speech. And then they came down and like I just saw that Ellen and Kieran and Jason Schwarzenman just like fucking around and having a great time. And I was like, oh, they're fine. They're okay. They'll be okay.

They're young. They're fine. I never gave the speech. I kind of figured I could just say that they were having a wail of a time. I was thinking, oh, it's fine, you know. But it is a thing, I think, that part of the reason that, you know, maybe it's endured is because we didn't give up on it. And, you know, we did like, by the end of the year, even, it was already kind of like a regular

midnight screening. I mean, just in Los Angeles, like, the new art and the new Beverly would be showing at midnight. And, you know, if we were in town, we'd show up. Or like, so it was something where you just feel like, okay, this is a longer campaign. Apparently it's a 13-year campaign and going. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's great. I mean, it is something that I feel like that's the thing. And, you know, like in those circumstances, it's always funny to me. And you can say, there's about so many films when people sort of trying like um that the you know the kind of the last

word on a film isn't on the Monday morning and I always I've told the story before but I was really meant a lot to me because usually as well if something doesn't do well like you don't hear from anybody like sort of and so it's just kind of like radio silence from like the studio or the cast and stuff and I got one of the best emails on the Monday morning was from Michael Moses like the head of Marketing Universal. And he said with his email on the Monday morning, and all of it said was years, not days. And it made me really emotional.

It was like, so, like, thank you. I really appreciate that. So he just said, years, not days. And he's like the first person when the Netflix trailer came out for the show. He goes, there you go. There you go. So it is interesting. And it's obviously, it's tough because you kind of like,

if you're a director and as a producer, well. You do feel a responsibility because, you know, you've talked something up for years whilst you're making it and it hasn't quite done what everybody hoped it would do. And, you know, everybody goes through the sort of the, what could we have done differently? But in this case, it was more a sense of, you just knew that it was like the audience was out there. It's just going to take longer to find them, you know? It's also, I mean, a testament for those that don't know, this new animated show is essentially a reunion. It's like your entire cast came back.

Like, and it is, you just referred to a bunch of them. This was like, you know, a big chill level casting call. You assembled like an amazing cast in this film, you know, Aubrey, Anna, Evans, like all of these folks that are ginormous stars in their own right. They don't have to do an animated series. So that is a testament. Talk to me a little bit about your relationship to this show. You're an executive producer.

Does it feel like, you know, I assume you're, you're, you're, you're, you know, I assume you're you're not the one necessarily driving the ship day to day. So it must be like really special to see the folks that you took so much time in casting and habit these roles in a different way. You've almost given birth to this indirectly. Well, I think in a funny way, over the years where people would always ask and sort of, you know, fans kind of usually ask things that are like, they're not interested in how things did or whether something's in the black or not.

They'll just say, you know, like, when's the sequel? Like, you know, that's the main thing people just ask, as they say. And I kind of, you know, I think, and maybe over the years when people had asked me about Scott Pilgrim and said, will there be anything more? I would sort of probably say, as a deflection,

well, you know, that's up to Brian Leo Melly. He's the creator of the books. And if there's anything more, it's up to him. It's his characters. So I would probably say that as a deflection in interviews until it wasn't. Because then, like, five years ago, Jared Leboff, one of the producers of the film,

and in fact, the person who gave me Brian's book in 2004, like literally pressed it into my hands at Ashorn of the Dead screening, he called me up and he said, do you think there's anything more we can do with Scott Pilgrim? And I finished this sentence and said, that's not a expensive live action sequel. And he said, yeah, because Universal is asking, you know,

and other people are asking, because over this time, and this is the nice thing when you realize, that maybe, you know, like if the film, the original film isn't in the black, it's not a red ink item in terms of it's now part of the studio catalog. As in, it has been reissued multiple times and there are different pre-rays and different steel books

and merchandise and T-shirts and all the kind of hot topic stuff and like, you know, the soundtrack being reissured and all of those things. So I said, because I said it in many interviews, well, you know, maybe an anime series is the way to go. because people always ask, are the books going to ever be adapted in full? Maybe that's something. Maybe, you know, Brian would want to do that. So then we all got on a call where we discussed that.

And I guess the thing was a surprise to me that Brian was interested, but he didn't want to revisit the books. Because at this point, it's stuff that he had done nearly 20 years ago. I mean, actually the first book came out 20 years ago this year. So he went away and I think sort of like brainstormed, with Ben David Grubensky about what it could be. And that's when they came up with the pitch for the show. And then sort of came back to me and Adam and Jared and Nair and sort of said,

this is the idea. And I thought, well, this is wild, like, you know. It's wild. Yeah. The less you know, the better, I mean, to spite of the same. Yeah, it's a good thing is what's nice about it is in a great way is I don't think people, you know, having posted the trailer and stuff on social, people are just excited to see it. And I just said, you know what, don't read anything, just watch it.

You know, like, and what was really nice was I think then they went away and wrote the episodes. And to ask you a question, it was like just pleasure of reading the scripts coming in and how, like, fun it was to be back in that world. And, you know, and obviously Brian wrote them with Ben David, but to hear Brian's voice and also Ben David is a big fan of the books in the film. And so it was just sort of, especially, the first episode, which is like a sort of tweaked version of the book and the film, but like with differences. And I was just loving it. And so I think we didn't go to the cast

until they had written all of the scripts and it had gotten a green light through Netflix. So then as executive producer, it's my job to say, can we bring the band back together? And so I wrote this email basically telling them what was happening and like obviously staying the obvious. I think I said something like, you know, the film had the greatest cast of all time and I put an asterisk and then said about like coming back and like we'd love you to read it like Brian and Ben David have written something like really magical and surprising and I think you're going to love it and obviously we would love you to be involved if you want to. I think the asterisk at the bottom said, yes, even better than the cast of the godfather.

Wait, did you put this on the infamous group thread? Or did you send individualized notes to each person? I think he was on the group thread. There had been a group email from since 2010. And, you know, like, it would be just an ongoing thing. I think Brian has told this story once that once, like, Michael Sarah responded to something that had been sent three years before, like, he, like, just seen it and said, oh, that's a where it is, you know, and then said, Michael, are you responding to an email from a lot?

2012. But we had kept in touch through that. And obviously, we'd seen each other over the years and also, you know, whenever anybody's in town and it's just like a sort of ongoing family. And we'd done that reunion that Satchababa did for water aid in the year that was the 10th anniversary. Because the sad thing was, because of the pandemic, we had that universal re-released at the cinemas, but we couldn't do any reunion meetings. And so that was a shame because it kind of came out and but there were no, I did one Q&A in, London with Bill Pope, but I didn't do anything with the cast. But the nice thing, so I sent out that email to everybody, and within three hours, everybody had replied, which was amazing. So they were just in, and that's just, you know, I think is a testament to how much fun they had making the film

and how much they like the source material, but, and how much they like each other, you know? Right. So it was really sweet. And then in the process of the show being made, Like you said, in terms of I could kind of sort of just, you know, oversee things and just make sure that the cast are all kind of happy. And there was a weird thing of like watching the animation as it was finished

over the course of, you know, like a year. And hearing the voices of the cast start to be edited in was really serious. Sometimes you have kind of temp voice in there. And then suddenly Mary's back. And here's Mary playing remotely. Amazing. you know so the fact that everybody came back is just beautiful but it's also just a testament to how much they love each other you know and and hopefully enjoy making the film

hey michael hey tom big news to share it right yes huge monumental earth shaking heartbeat sound effect big mink is bad that's right after a brief is bad that's right after a brief snack, nap. We're coming back. We're picking snacks. We're eating snacks. We're raiding snacks. Like the snackologist we were born to be.

Mates is back. Mike and Tom, eat snacks. Wherever you get your podcast. Unless you get them from a snack machine, in which case, call us. Hi, I'm Brandi Pissanti. For the last 15 years, I've starred on one of the most successful reality shows of all time.

Storage Wars. A mino show, the real reality. My guest and I will reveal the real story of what it's like navigating fame and notoriety. We will explore their unique story, what really happened on and off camera, how becoming famous is truly impacted their lives and what their vision is for their future. This is the real reality. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcast. Would you ever at this point, look, I mean, obviously Scott Pilgrim is not necessarily something you own. It began with someone out of someone else's head. But, you know, I remember way back when we talked about the infamous horrible space debacle

when they tried to remake your beloved show in terms of into a network TV show here. Steve's going about that. I guess my question, though, is like, would you ever at this point let any of your films be adapted in any way? Have you seriously considered, because I can't imagine folks haven't come to you with Sean of the dead ideas, hot fuzz ideas, et cetera, animated show, Broadway musical, whatever it is. I mean, yes. and in fact not in terms of like another film without us because I don't really know how that would work

but definitely in terms of in other kind of forms with you know the Cornetto films yes and there have been some conversations about that but I think it's also we're quite you know protective about it like I think like a long time ago there was a thing of an American company wanted to do a TV series of Sean the Dead

based on the film we were like no like you know like it just uh it just felt like we you know like some things i don't know i mean i think you know we have we have talked about doing things i mean simon obviously like i've never stopped talking about doing something else and um and sometimes when these things come up we we take it really seriously and some things are still things that we're still talking about but it's it's also being kind of protective of what it is because because I think the Scott Pilgring thing was like a perfect way of a continuing

because it's really because it's Brian Lee and Malley doing it and it's literally his comic likes artwork come to life. It's beautiful. So it's like something where it's both a huge expansion of the books and the film but also it's really true to his original artwork

and, you know, that he, you know, he's from Canada, but he drew the book like it was a Japanese manga comic and now it's become a real anime with an amazing Japanese production company doing it, Sainzaru. So just like, that's perfect

in terms of a way to continue. I think if me and Simon or any of the other things we did that would be an extension of something, it's like you want to have creative control and so yeah, I guess that's the ultimate thing. I mean, I know it'd be a lot richer if I had said yes to everything.

thing, but I kind of but you're rich in terms of your contentment and your soul. Yes. Speaking of Simon, speaking of Simon, sound very convincing there, do I? Let's let another zero in the bank count.

Yes. Let's talk a little world's end. The time is always flying by with us, but 10th anniversary, I revisited it last night. I love it as much as I did 10 years ago. This was the 30, in the Cornetto trilogy. I mean, there are a lot of things to talk about.

The thing I wanted to bring up is it plays differently in retrospect. I mean, Simon at the time, as I recall, we didn't know that he had gone through some real stuff. He had, you know, he's been open about this, so I feel like we can, we can say this. He, you know, he's now sober. He had issues with alcohol. And this film is clearly a commentary on stuff he was going through, I would assume. Yeah. And I was very proud of.

him for talking about it because when he did talk about it, which was about five years after the movie came out, I sort of read in the paper like him talking about it. And I caught him immediately and it just said, I'm so proud of you. I never thought you would talk about this. And it was something that, you know, and I don't want to like say anything that he hasn't said. So I'm very conscious of like his story and not mine. But I think one of the things of the World's End, because we'd sort of been, I'd been sort of party to some things that had happened and also hopefully tried to help as well. And so by the time that we wrote World's End, it was a very strange thing where we were, it was like classic British repressed people

where we're talking about it sort of in the third person. So when we were writing the World's End, which was after Simon had had his issues and been to rehab, we're sort of talking about it. We're sort talking about it in a very, it's like, so Gary is a sort of stand in for a lot of things and a way of talking about it and, you know, in like comedy that's kind of real and personal and painful and the sort of finding the humor in that. So, but what's funny is that we would always talk about it like it was the character. So Simon wouldn't say, well, when this happened to me, he would have saying, well, I think Gary would.

So it was a strange thing where it was always like, it was sort of like when we were writing, it was sort of like the elephant in the room and it was like funny. You know, because the movie is sort of like about an intervention on Gary King. Like the end of the movie is like a cosmic attention. So there's a lot of things in it,

which obviously we just couldn't talk about at the time. And when we did the press tour for that movie, you know, journalists would always ask us, say, is Gary based on anybody you know? I mean, Simon would always say, it's sort of a combination of ourselves and lots of other people we know.

It's sort of a bit of me, bit of Simon. So it always becomes deflecting on that. So it is something, I was really, that said, I mean, and this is something I do not mean to make light of this at all, but I just really proud of Simon. And also Nick, Nick, I don't know if you've read his new book, which is incredible, a slice of fried dog, which is essentially a recipe book,

but is also incredibly raw about talking about, you know, addiction and, you know, kind of like eating disorders somehow in a funny recipe book. I don't know quite how he falls off, but it's an incredible piece of writing and I highly recommend it. So I just say sort of like both Simon and Nick are sort of like are very honest about themselves and to sort of, you know, like making it into a comedy is something that it's, therapeutic at the end of the day. So I think maybe some of those things were maybe when it came out a bit heavier than people were expecting. But then over the years, it is the film that I think people have said to me that it meant something to them, either at the time that it made them realize something about themselves

or that, like, they had to rewatch it and it hit differently, like, when they were older or whether they had had some issues themselves. So I don't mean to kind of make it sound like. like it's any sort of like profound drama. But it's always the things that are like, I think, and you make comedies and they can sort of function as a Trojan horse for like personal issues that are, you know, the, you know, like I said, as Brits is like,

we don't talk about them out loud. You just make movies about them. Don't talk about it. Let's make a movie about the thing we can. can't talk about. Exactly. And then go on a press store and not talk about it. And then I don't talk about it at all. Okay, a few bits and bobs with you. We mentioned a couple of these folks earlier. Last we chatted, we talked about Mad Max Fury Road and Anya, who you'd worked with and you helped

kind of facilitate that as she's now our Furiosa. My last dinner before the pandemic, like March 2020, me and George Miller were in London. he had just watched last night in Soho in the screening room at work in the title and we went for dinner in a restaurant that was deserted and the things I remember about because George Miller is a doctor is talking to George about the movie I just made

talking to George about Furiosa and him asking if he thought Ania would be great to work with and I said absolutely she's a megastar you should hire her and then most pressingly what do you think is going to happen in the next 24 hours? Ask a doctor what you think is going to and like and his uh you know he's a doctor so he's kind of got a good bedside manner but it's obviously what he's saying is absolutely terrifying of this is what happened in the world so i will never

forget that dinner has he given you a sneak peek at furiosa no i i haven't actually i've been meaning to get in touch with him actually i've been i've spoken to him a couple of times since but i haven't seen him i haven't seen him in person since actually we've sort of spoken by zoom but no i am i mean i'm excited as anybody else to see it i can't wait Have you read Quentin's new script? I have not, no. Okay. And that's me being genuine.

You can sort of see I'm not diverting my eyes. I have no, no, no, all good. I said before, I'm not going to put you on the spot for some latest rumors around you because that's too cruel. But I'll ask you this. Are you a fan of the original Barbarella film? Is that an actual good movie? Or is it one of the... I think it is.

Like, here's the thing is what's interesting. with, you know, like, is, I think, sort of like, there's, when remakes are sort of interesting is if there's something that, you know, Barbarella, okay, let me back up on that. Barabarella is actually sort of, I rewatched it like reasonably recently, and I think it's one of those films that people in their head have said, well, that doesn't date well. But then when you watch it again, it's actually a lot sharper than you remember it. Because, you know, Terry Southern wrote the original screenplay. and I think actually that when I was a teenager,

I probably was enjoying it on a much more superficial level and sort of like watching something like that now is like a different thing. But you can say that about so many movies, where you watch them as an adult, like something like Blake Edgewood's 10 is like, oh, now I get it. Now I'm in my 14th. The midlife crisis thing makes sense to me.

When you're a teenager, you're like, wait, why is he, why does he not have sex with Beau Derrick at the end? I don't get it. Isn't that the point in the movie? I don't get it. And now are you like, of course. He has Giulia Andrews at home. But I really tried to kind of like sort of divert from what you were asking about.

Yeah, you gave me a three minute, a ten anecdote instead of anything about a row. I think it's that thing that's interesting. You know, I think in this day and age as well, it's like in terms of like, you know, I think when remakes are done well is if there's something else to add or there's a different take on it. So I think the problem is like sometimes recently like remakes are just kind of, are facsimiles of the original film. And I don't really get that excited about a lot of them because they feel like sort of karaoke versions of the originals.

Right. You know, obviously back in like the 70s and 80s, you had ones where they were additive, like Philip Kaufman's invasion of the body snatchers or the junk arms of the thing or David Kahneman's the fly. Like it's taking something and doing something interesting with it. And, you know, in terms of like things that I've been like, you know, like The Running Man, which is something that is an active development.

Why is that interesting to me? It's like, you know, I like the film, but I like the book more. And they didn't really adapt the book. Yeah. Even as a teenager, I saw the Schwarzenegger film, I was like, oh, this isn't like the book at all. And I think nobody's adapted that book. So when that came up, I was thinking, you know, and Simon Kimberg says, do you have any interest in the running man? I said, you know what?

I've often thought that that book is something like crying out to be adapted. Now, that doesn't mean that it's easy, but like it is something that we are working on. Yes, I'll say that much. And last thing, I'll cut you loose on this. I think our last podcast conversation, we talked James Bond, and you gave the very interesting theory, which I kind of agree with. You said bonds are dark chocolate or milk chocolate, and it might be time for a milk chocolate bond. Has, how the... I think I picked this idea to Barbara herself, Barbara Broccoli herself.

I'm not sure that she completely went with it, but I was like to. That was my question. Have the broccoli has come around? since our podcast, since you put this out into the universe. I don't know. I mean, I know Barbara reasonably well, and she's always been like, I, you know, I think she's incredible. And I think what they, I think actually they, as, I think they're pretty smart, actually,

because they, they're willing to kind of put a pause on things to build anticipation. I think one of the problems with current franchises is sometimes when they announce, not mentioning any names of anything, but when they announced like massive slates of like films and TV shows, and this is not like I'm not being pointed again. But I always think it's that thing is it's kind of like it's, it's, there's a danger of killing the golden goose. And like I always have this thing when sometimes people announce like,

you know, this is not, this is all studios with all. What you're saying to be fair is we're respect to every IP out there. The broccoli is are. the exception. Absolutely. You're right. They are the exceptions. They're smart enough to kind of put the brakes on and build anticipation. So you'll be excited about the next one. I think

one of the problems now is that I wish with some like films and series that people would understand that like it's okay to take a break and build anticipation. And I think the thing is that you know, because it is that thing

and maybe listen, I would never want to besmirch any like franchises because because, you know, like, I'm 49 now, and it's a different thing if, like, you know, like maybe you have kids and it's about introducing your kids to the franchise and stuff. But it is that weird thing,

if I could go back to when I was a young film fan and I've just enjoyed a movie and people saying, and guess what? There will be one every three years for the rest of your life. I'd be like, really? Like, I mean, that's the thing that is sad to me

is like there's just, it just, the lack of investment in new movies. And I know that might sound like, hypocrisy if I'm talking about various remakes and stuff. But again, it's like finding like a different angle on something and maybe those things haven't been, you know, kind of done for 40 years or more, you know. But I think that's the thing is I wish some franchisers would just kind of have the sense to just take a breather and let people get excited about it again.

And because I feel like I, like there's certain things that I loved that I don't want to see them again or I don't want to see them again for a long time. And again, I'm not going to like badmouth anything. because it always gets interpreted as sound great. But it is something just like, or like just, you know, we desperately need more new movies. And even if it's the thing,

I know IP is the dreaded word, but it's even like finding new things that could be a series. It's not, it doesn't have to just be the same things again and again. There is like, sort of, so I'm not saying that like, you know, I'm not so naive to say that everything has to be,

like original going forward, obviously that would be great, and there is, you know, a lot of great indies. And in international cinema, it isn't, they don't have the same problem. Like, international cinema is flourishing. I just think that you would hope that the studios would put as much investment into original films as they do into the ongoing IP. But also it's like, it's okay to take a break and let something be missed so that kind of then you can have a big return, you know,

or just think about things that could be franchised starters. And that's the thing that baffles me is with, I think, with studios, whenever somebody comes into a studio and they take over, it is that thing. You become the janitor for all the IP. So if somebody takes over Warner Brothers, somebody will ask the question, what are we doing with Scooby-Doo? So it's not like something, it's thinking about these are the assets we have. What are we doing with it?

What are we doing a Scooby-Doo right now? You know, that's basically what happens. Well, it's the quickest path to a buck for them. Like, it's like that, you know, developing new material takes time. And Scooby-Doo is right there. Let's just do Scooby-Doo. Yeah. So, I mean, that's just one example.

But it is something where I just feel like, you know, people forget that Alien was an original screenplay back in 1979. Or that Terminator was an original screenplay back in 1984. Or that Star Wars was an original screenplay in 1977. So the fact that, like, the studios, like, don't want to take those gambles. Like, would anybody make the Matrix now? Like at the budget it was in 1999, it seems unlikely, which is sad, you know? That's my rant over.

I was going to say that that is Edgar Wright's TED Talk for today. I'm in lockstep with you, man. I feel like I ranted without, like, mentioning any specifics. You were good. There's no Edgar Wright goes off on X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, if you wanted to be a headline on Indy Y's own, Edgar Wright goes off on, blah, blah. It'll just speak Edgar Wright goes off on everything. of it's always good to catch up man there's never enough time congratulations um on scott pilgrim takes off i'll get it

right this time it's truly a great riff on on brian and your your contributions and i think fans are going to really really dig it um go in as blind as you can and uh if you haven't checked out world's end 10 years later it's not too late check it out check out the entire cornetto trilogy but world's end as you said it gets deeper and richer this one definitely does as the years go by it's good to catch up man I hope to see you soon tiny tiny bump in residuals from the world standard

somebody watching it and people play then maybe eventually I'll get 25 cents in three years time we're just trying to get you a beach house one day Edgar Wright on happy thank you

thanks man and so ends another edition of happy sad confused remember to review rate and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcast. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't

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