How Shaun of the Dead Beat the Odds to Become a Cult Classic

On April 9, 2004, an improbable zombie-meets-romantic comedy called Shaun of the Dead debuted in theaters. It was the first feature collaboration between director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg (who also co-wrote Shaun) and Nick Frost, who had previously worked together on the Britcom Spaced. In the film, Pegg plays the titular Shaun, a slacker who leads his girlfriend and dysfunctional band of friends after London is taken over by a zombie outbreak. Put together for roughly $6 million, Shaun of the Dead intrigued critics and scared up $30 million at the box office upon its release, propelling Wrights film career and becoming a cult classic in the process.

But things werent always shaping up that way on set. In a 2013 interview, Wright recalled a particularly discouraging moment in which an extra playing a zombie mistook the director for a crew member, looked over at him, and declared, “Whew—straight to video for this one.”

In retrospect, its easy to see where that attitude came from. Shaun was a scrappily budgeted zombie movie with a title parodying a George A. Romero classic, directed by a filmmaker who was not yet a household name. (Wrights only other feature at that time was the Western parody A Fistful of Fingers.) In several other interviews, both Wright and Pegg have revealed that this spirit of pessimism was a sentiment shared broadly among other crew members as well.

“It was tougher than anything I had ever done,” Wright said in a 2004 interview. “I think theres, like, a British film statistic that something like 60 percent of the films that get made never get released to cinemas, and so it can create quite a cynicism within the industry. Crews can work full-time, all year round, on, like, 10 films in row, and not actually work on a film thats been seen by anybody.”

“Some of the older members of the crew are more cynical than the others,” Pegg added, noting a particular night during which the crew had to work late—again—and morale was flagging. “Edgar had used up all his favors, they hated him at this point. . . . It was so emotional.”

In order to fill up each frame with zombies, Wright had put out a casting call to fans of Spaced, asking them to work for basically nothing in exchange for an appearance in the film. It was a money-saving tactic, and a fairly successful idea; by Wrights count, at least 1,100 people showed up. “There were some people that came down every day, who would come back again and again, who clearly didnt have proper jobs,” he said in the 2004 interview. “But it was great.”

“I think they got paid a pound,” Wright added in a 2017 interview. “We pushed their fandom to the limits. I think some of them were pissed off because of the long hours. But we couldnt have done the movie without those fans.”

In that interview, producer Nira Park also revealed that when the film was initially being put together, not everyone behind the scenes was on board with Frost. The actor, who played the hilarious, deeply inappropriate Ed in the film, was largely an unknown at the time, beyond fans of Spaced. Still, Wright and Pegg wrote the role for him anyway, determined to make this a vehicle for Pegg and Frost together.

“There were conversations with Working Title about Could we cast Ed a different way?” Park recalled. “We said, If you want to make a movie with us, then its them.”

They eventually got their way, launching Frosts film career and laying the groundwork for Wrights beloved film series: the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, named after a brand of ice cream. The series also includes the Pegg-Frost vehicles Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End.

Shaun of the Dead, with its quick sense of humor, stylized aesthetic (complete with a zillion crash zooms), and deferential approach to the zombie genre, was well received upon release, name-checked as a favorite by directors like Quentin Tarantino and actors like Jim Broadbent (who later starred in Fuzz). It also earned a seal of approval from Romero himself, who was given a private screening of the film while he was on vacation in Florida.

Wright was in London at the time, waiting for Romeros reaction. “I remember standing in my flat in Islington when I got the call from him, and he couldnt have been warmer and kinder about the movie,” Wright wrote on his personal blog. “I remember him saying that it was an absolute blast.” That quote was used on promotional posters for the film, and Romero later tapped Wright and Pegg to play zombies in one of his movies, Land of the Dead—bringing the moment full circle.

I Married a Witch

This overlooked 1942 gem stars Veronica Lake, she of the perfect side part, as a colonial Salem-era witch who gets burned at the stake, then reawakened hundreds of years later, determined to get revenge on a descendant of the family who tried to kill her. I Married a Witch is more rom-com than horror, a love story with a healthy serving of cauldrons and broomsticks. Its easy to fall under its spell. (On Filmstruck.)Photo: From Everett Collection.

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

If youre of a certain age and looking for a deep-cut nostalgia trip, Hulu has you covered with a Mary Kate and Ashley joint—one thats well worth revisiting if youre both a 90s kid and a fan of Cloris Leachman, who played the evil witch grandmother at the films center. As with most old media, some parts of the film have aged better than others—but the Olsen magic remains eternal. (On Hulu.)Photo: From Everett Collection.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Ah, yes, the classic cautionary tale about what happens when three college students venture into the woods to investigate local legends. Although this might not count as a witch movie in the typical sense, it would feel wrong to leave Blair Witch out of our selections—especially given its terrifying ending, which makes all the run-up worth it. (On Hulu.)Photo: From ©Artisan Entertainment/Everett Collection.

Charmed

One of the many network enchantments cast by Aaron Spelling is Charmed, a San Francisco-set drama about three sisters—originally played by Shannon Doherty, Alyssa Milano, and Holly Marie Combs—whose combined abilities make them the most powerful witches of all time. Before all you kids out there tuck into the CWs woke reboot, take a trip back to 1998 to see where it all began. (On Netflix.)Photo: From ©Viacom/Everett Collection.

Sabrina: The Teenage Witch

Netflix might have its own Sabrina adaptation on the way, but for now, Melissa Joan Hart still reigns supreme. Besides, even with the new Sabrina coming, this one will always have a place in our hearts; did you hear that the cat wont even talk in the new version? (On Hulu.)Photo: ©Viacom/Courtesy Everett Collection

Practical Magic

In this crunchy New England fall leaf of a film, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play a pair of witchy sisters battling against a family curse that dooms any man they fall in love with to an early death. There are perfect autumnal Massachusetts vibes, plus Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as a pair of aunties who love to cackle over midnight margaritas. (On HBOGo.)Photo: From Everett Collection.

Honorable Mentions

If youve found yourself with enough money to pony up for a couple other rentals, here are some of our favorites that, alas, cannot be streamed for free: Kikis Delivery Service, The Craft, Eves Bayou, The Wizard of Oz, Hocus Pocus, and Bell Book and Candle.Photo: Clockwise from right; From Everett Collection, from Everett Collection, from ©Buena Vista/Everett Collection.PreviousNext