Is Hot Fuzz going to be rated R?

Edgar:  I suspect it will be R over here because of language.  You can’t say “cunt” in a PG-13.  But this is the thing that’s weird in the U.K.  When we made Shaun, all the way through the production we said, “We’re not going all out for it to be an ‘18’, but we don’t want people to be scared of that fact if it is an ‘18’.”  The thing is, you can quote all kinds of films, but it’s pointless quoting stuff like Re-Animator and Evil Dead 2 because they made no money. 

What about Beverly Hills Cop?

Edgar:  That’s not a zombie film.

But Beverly Hills Cop 3…

Edgar:  Ah!  Two slot, same joke.  What was funny, though, is that all the way through the production we were saying that we want it to be an “18”.  I even said in an interview with Total Film, “If you see a ‘15’ rated zombie film, you know it’s going to be shit.”  Because Resident Evil had come out, and that was rated “15”.  And then Shaun got a “15” with no cuts; they were going to give it an “18”, but then they changed their minds.  And we were on one hand a bit disappointed because we didn’t cut anything at all, and yet somebody gets their head staved in, there are seventy-seven “f-words” in it, somebody says “cunt”, somebody gets their entrails ripped out.  What do you need to do to get a fucking 18!?!?

This is a question about Ant-Man.

Edgar:  Sure, sure.

I know this is a little off-subject, but why Ant-Man, why now?

Edgar:  Uh… let’s go back to Hot Fuzz.  (Laughter)  That was, like, a big question.  You threw me a curveball.

Nick:  But seriously… why?

Nick is playing Ant-Man, right?

Edgar:  Simon is playing Ant-Man, Nick is playing Giant Man. 

Yesterday during the Grind House panel, Tarantino was talking about Robert Rodriguez staying in Austin, and how that was so admirable because guys from other places, including England, go Hollywood after their first film.

Edgar:  Here’s what’s very funny.  I went backstage and saw him afterwards, and it was so funny.  He made that comment, and then he goes, “You know what, man?  I thought about you like sixty seconds ago because I was gonna say ‘except for Edgar Wright’!”  “If I had known you were in the audience, I would’ve fucking brought it up!”  Because I was thinking, “I didn’t go to the States after my first film!  We couldn’t have gone more English with the next film.”

But after this one?

Edgar:  It’s tempting with the opportunity.  We love making films in our own country, but then there are moments when you’re standing there in the fucking British weather waiting for two hours whilst it’s pissing down raining thinking, “Fuck this shit.”  (Laughs)  There were moments on this shoot where I was thinking, “I want to fucking go to New Mexico.”

Do you look at the way Peter Jackson sort of structured his career?

Edgar:  That’s amazing.  Peter Jackson is the only director I can think of – and correct me if I’m wrong here – who is internationally successful without ever having made a film in the states.  Even Sergio Leone filmed in the states.  And that’s fucking incredible.  I think he’s a total one-off in a way.  It would be great to keep working in the U.K.; there are so many talented technicians, but there are obviously things that we are all developing.  Simon gets to be in Mission: Impossible III – with a British accent!  That’s pretty impressive.

But the inevitable question that has to be asked is will there be a Spaced reunion?

Edgar:  It’s never really gone away, that idea.  It just sort of got past the point where if we do it now it would have to be a ten year thing now, wouldn’t it?

Nick:  Yeah.

Edgar:  It’s one of those things where…

Nick:  We’ll meet up to go to Mike’s funeral.  (Laughs)  I don’t want to do it.  That’s what I’m basically saying there.

We’ll have Kevin Costner’s hand playing you.

Nick:  Yeah.

Shooting in England is so expensive now.  Are you able to make it work because you’re from there?

Edgar:  It’s tough.  The British film industry is really hypocritical because they really beat their chest about how great they are, and yet the British government does fuck all to subsidize taxes and location filming.  London is one of the toughest places to film in because every single borough is completely different.  It’s really difficult and it’s really frustrating, so I kind of get annoyed when there’s a British success and the government holds it up and goes…

Nick:  “Look what we did!”

Edgar:  “Look what we did!”  And it’s bullshit.  They don’t help themselves, which is really silly.  They lost things like the Bond film, too, when it shot in Prague.  It’s silly.  We don’t help ourselves at all.

I think it’s interesting to think of what American filmmakers think of as far as British comedic films go.  There was Ealing and then Monty Python—

Edgar:  We filmed Shaun in Ealing Studios.

Is that ever weird that you’re the pinnacle in the eyes of some—

Nick:  We’re it.  (Laughter)  Like everything, it’s cyclical.  The Ealing people come and go, and then there’s another generation.

Edgar:  Internationally, with British comedy films, there haven’t been as many that have traveled as there have been TV series.  It’s always interesting doing international press when people bring up Monty Python.  I’m a Monty Python fan, but there’s, like, thirty years of British comedy since then, and other people that we’ve grown up with who have inspired us.  But because British film is so kind of intermittent; there are periods of great productivity, like post-Trainspotting or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and then they make fifty shitty gangster films and it all dies off again.  (Laughter)  Anytime there’s something that hits home, like Four Weddings and a Funeral, it’s like, “Let’s do that!  And let’s do only that!”  (Laughing) 

Which was great for Richard Curtis!

Edgar:  Yeah!  (Laughing) 

But Working Title has lately hit a few stumbling blocks like Wimbledon.

Edgar:  Yeah, but they’re pretty incredible.  They’ve had a hit in so many different genres.  It’s crazy.  For instance, they produced The Big Lebowski and Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou.  They did United 93.  It’s a really diverse [list of] stuff.  And they’re the only British company that can really bankroll something completely.  Everything else is like a co-production pretty much.  They’re pretty diverse.  And they did Thunderbirds as well.  (Laughter)

And they still survived, which is great.

Edgar:  I think some of our profits paid for Thunderbirds.  Maybe that’s where it went. 

Nick:  The puppet clause.  (Laughter)

Edgar:  That’s where the missing millions went – to the puppet clause. 

Nick:  The marionette money.

Nick, what’s next for you?  Is there going to be another season of Danger! 50,000 Volts!?

Nick:  No, no, there won’t.  We finished two, and then their suggestions for what we would do in series three got fucking ridiculous.

Edgar:  Getting raped by an alien.  (Laughter)

Nick:  Yeah.  Punch a plane.  (More laughter)  Ride a fucking horse to the moon.  And then I would’ve had to do things like at Star City in Russia where they take you up in a plane and drop you so you’re weightless.

Edgar:  The “vomit comet”.

Nick:  I did enjoy doing it, and they’re quite fun to watch back.  I think that’s the only thing I do, is watch [them over again].  But, no, there won’t be anymore.

I was surprised to see you in Kinky Boots.  I was like, “Oh, hey, there’s Nick!”  And then—

Nick:  I’m a baddie! 

Edgar:  That was on the plane, and didn’t you, when it was done, walk up and down the aisle going (thumbs up and smiling). 

Nick:  I did this, too.  (Lifting sunglasses and winking.  Everyone laughs.)

You should’ve mimicked your lines.

Nick:  Well, that’s why I always have my leather apron with me. 

Are you doing any other film work?

Nick:  I did a show last year at home called Man Stroke Woman, which was a sketch show, and another thing called Hyperdrive, which was a sitcom set on a spacecraft.  Both of them got the go-ahead to go again, so we’re shooting those now.  And I think Simon and I are going to try to write a film in January of next year.

Edgar, will you be directing that?

Edgar:  I don’t know.  We haven’t talked about it.

You’re getting too big for that now that you’re directing Marvel stuff.

Edgar:  I just wish that I was doing Hulk, so you could play the Hulk.

Nick:  I’ve got the shoulders for it.

Edgar:  We should’ve had a tumbler on stage and had a draw, or something.  “Favreau, sorry, you’ve got Ant-Man.  We’re doing the Hulk now, that’s cool.  Nick’s playing the Hulk and Jason Statham’s playing—“

Nick:  Fuck off. 

Simon’s Bruce Banner. 

Nick:  That’s be great!

Edgar:  Wouldn’t that be amazing?  I said to somebody yesterday that your comment after you saw Hulk was, “Eric Bana:  twelve days filming.”  (Laughter)  Imagine playing that part and you don’t get to fucking smash anything up! 

Nick:  What’s the point?

Edgar:  I know!  It’s sort of like impotent.  It’s sort of like, “I’m going to play the fucking Hulk!”  And then be going, (hands above head) “Ahhhhhh!”  (As the director) “And cut.” 

Nick:  “Change the big trousers for the small ones.  And we’ll cut there.”

And I guess we’ll cut there, too.  I’ll have more to say about the fairly spectacular Hot Fuzz footage the boys showed at the Rogue Pictures panel later in the day as soon as I transcribe another interview.  Until then… fuck, I don’t know.  Read some Proust.