Shaun of the Dead

For the comics adapted from the film, see Shaun of the Dead (comics).

Shaun of the Dead
British theatrical release poster
Directed byEdgar Wright
Written by
Produced byNira Park
Starring
CinematographyDavid M. Dunlap
Edited byChris Dickens
Music by
  • Pete Woodhead
  • Daniel Mudford
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 29 March 2004 (2004-03-29) (London)
  • 9 April 2004 (2004-04-09) (United Kingdom)
  • 24 September 2004 (2004-09-24) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • United States[1][4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$38.7 million

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Shaun, a downtrodden London salesman who is caught alongside his loved ones in a zombie apocalypse. It also stars Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. It is the first film in Wright and Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, followed by Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World's End (2013).

Shaun of the Dead was inspired by ideas Pegg and Wright used for their 1999-2001 television sitcom Spaced, particularly an episode in which Pegg's character hallucinates a zombie invasion. The film references the Night of the Living Dead films by George A. Romero. Principal photography took place across London and at Ealing Studios for nine weeks between May and June 2003.

Shaun of the Dead premiered in London on 29 March 2004, before it was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2004 and in the United States on 24 September. It was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, grossing $38.7 million worldwide on a budget of $6.1 million and receiving two nominations at the British Academy Film Awards. It was ranked third on the Channel 4 list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films and quickly acquired a cult following. In film studies, it is seen as a product of post-9/11 anxiety and a model for transnational comedy, while the zombie outbreak as depicted in the film has been used as a modelling example for disease control.

  1. ^ a b Elley, Derek (11 March 2004). "Shaun of the Dead". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Shaun of the Dead". Big Talk Productions. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  3. ^ "SHAUN OF THE DEAD (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 26 March 2004. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Shaun of the Dead (2004)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.