Directed by Edgar Wright,Shaun of the Deadwill always be seen as a beloved classic from the 2000s that mixed sillycomedywith horror elements as it took its tongue-in-cheek approach to the 1978 classic,Dawn of the Dead. However, the iconic movie could have been seen as something quite different if one Hollywood a-lister had accepted her role in the parody. However, in the end, Wright was “relieved” as they would have “capsized the film.”
Shaun of the Dead, the first part of Edgar Wright’s classic Cornetto Trilogy, started a comedy horror trend and made stars of its central cast,Simon Peggand Nick Frost. The film follows Shaun, a man without ambition, who has become stuck in an unfulfilling life and, to top it off, gets dumped by his girlfriend due to being a lousy boyfriend. As the zombie outbreak spreads, Shaun finally begins to take action with his best friend Ed and finally fights for what is important (all it took was a zombie apocalypse, after all). Due to Pegg and Wright’s love forGeorge A. Romero’sDeadtrilogy of zombie films, they decided to write their own zombie film, and in 1999, pitched the film to Film4. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, their film was scrapped by the company, but thankfully, Working Title Films picked the project up, seeing it go on to receive critical acclaim.
Edgar Wright ‘Relieved’ Kate Winslet Turned Down Role for Shaun of the Dead
As reported byScreenRant, in the bookYou’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life,director Edgar Wrightrevealed that the studio wanted to bring in different actresses to play Liz and Barbara. Studio Canal initially wanted Helen Mirren to take on the role of Shaun’s mother, Barbara. However, Mirren didn’t fancy the part and instead wanted to take on Ed’s character, as that was “the funniest part.” Now that Mirren was out, the studio looked for another big Hollywood name to bring in a larger audience and thought that Kate Winslet would be ideal to cast as Liz, Shaun’s girlfriend.
Even though Winslet’s agent was initially onboard with the idea, Winslet decided to give it a pass and instead took on the role ofClementine inEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,in which her performance bagged her a shiny Oscar. Even though Winslet would have been incredible in the comedy, like she is in everything, Wright is glad that she decided to take an opportunity elsewhere as “her fame would capsize the film in maybe a not useful way,” and Shaun of the Dead would have become “the new Kate Winslet movie.”
“Kate Winslet liked the script a lot, but then something else came through that she did instead. Honestly, much as I love Kate Winslet, I was relieved. She’s so famous that as soon as she comes onboard, it becomes the new Kate Winslet movie. She’s brilliant, but it was obvious that her fame would capsize the film in maybe a not useful way. When Winslet went away, we were allowed to approach Kate Ashfield.”
In 2023, Simon Peg put an end to the rumors and questions surrounding whether there would be a follow-up to the cult classicShaun of the Dead. Breaking the hearts of those who wanted to see more,Peg revealed that it was never going to happen. “The last thing you need isShaun of the Dead 2,” said Peg during aMission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part Oneinterview. “It’s done. Move on!”
