Don't Expect a 'Shaun of the Dead' Sequel, Says Edgar Wright
Zombies often return from the dead, but that won't be the case for Shaun of the Dead. The film celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, yet Edgar Wright has no plans for a follow-up.
During promotion for his new movie The Running Man, Polygon asked Wright if he had ever considered a sequel. He declined politely, stating that he and Simon Pegg feel there’s no more story to tell with Shaun.
"A lot of sequels don’t really earn their keep because all the story has been told in the first movie. […] Shaun goes from being a kind of sad sack to being a hero by the end of the movie. So it’s very difficult to start the next movie when there’s no obvious arc."
Wright’s career shows he is generally not focused on sequels. His closest example is the Cornetto trilogy, and arguably Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Meanwhile, the zombie genre has seen many continuations, such as The Walking Dead with its spinoffs, and Zombieland, which evolved into a mini-franchise with a sequel and a TV show in 2019.
Moreover, it’s become common to see sequels released decades later, especially from companies like Disney.
Author's Summary
Edgar Wright confirms there will be no sequel to Shaun of the Dead, emphasizing that the story was fully told in the original film.
Would you like the summary to be more formal or conversational?