Edgar Wright Reveals the Near-Misstep That Haunted Spaced
Edgar Wright opens up about the creative risks in Spaced, reflecting on a pivotal episode that almost derailed the cult classic. Discover how these moments shaped his signature style and influenced his future in film.
If you haven’t caught Edgar Wright’s take on The Running Man yet, don’t let the negative buzz keep you away. Catch it on the biggest screen you can find, and you’ll be treated to a wild blend of sharp comic book action, clever humor, and throwbacks to the 1980s original. Even Glen Powell, who nearly put me off movies for good after Twisters, delivers a solid performance. There’s a standout sequence set to a Rolling Stones track from Goat’s Head Soup that ranks among the coolest movie moments in recent memory—at least since Wright’s own bank heist opener in Baby Driver set to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Wright’s films have become a reliable source of escapism, packed with inside jokes, big laughs, and killer soundtracks. You know exactly what you’re in for: a couple of hours of pure fun, loaded with pop culture nods and unforgettable music. Not a bad deal, right?
From Spaced to the Big Screen
Wright’s signature style didn’t appear overnight. It all started back in the late ‘90s with Spaced, the cult Channel 4 sitcom he created alongside Simon Pegg. Over just 14 episodes, and with help from future collaborator Nick Frost, they built a show that was a playground for video game fans, quirky characters, surreal storylines, and endless pop culture references. The downstairs neighbor Brian, an eccentric artist, became a fan favorite. It was as if the show was tailor-made for college students—and they ate it up.
Spaced laid the groundwork for Wright’s later comedies. The quick-cut montages, the love for ‘80s action flicks, and the music choices—featuring artists like the Chemical Brothers and Coldcut—were all there from the start.
Walking the Creative Tightrope
Even with just two short seasons, Wright admits there were moments he looks back on with a bit of embarrassment. As he told The AV Club,
“There were moments in the second season where if we didn’t jump the shark, we came very close.”
For those unfamiliar, “jumping the shark” is TV slang for the moment a show runs out of steam and resorts to outlandish stunts—like the Fonz literally jumping over a shark on Happy Days—to keep viewers interested.
Wright continued,
“I think looking back, we’re faintly embarrassed by the Matrix episode. Even though there’s loads of good jokes in that one. I think at the time, we thought The Matrix was as cool as we thought Star Wars was during the first season. It was very funny timing that the first and second series landed on either side of The Phantom Menace. It’s kind of amusing.”
Pop Culture Obsessions and Lasting Influence
Both Pegg and Wright were die-hard Star Wars fans—Pegg even wrote his college thesis on the franchise. Little did he know that the success of Spaced and the later Cornetto trilogy would eventually land him a role in The Force Awakens and a spot as a script advisor for director JJ Abrams.