Edgar Wright explains his reluctance to direct a franchise movie: “There have been times when I’ve been asked”
In an exclusive interview with Far Out, The Running Man director Edgar Wright revealed why he has yet to be involved with a movie franchise.
Over the course of his 30-year directing career, Wright, due to his acclaimed status in the film industry, has naturally been linked to a number of franchises, but has yet to step up to direct in an already established movie series.
During a new interview with Far Out, Wright explained how this is linked to his philosophy regarding filmmaking, sharing, “You want to, in some way, come in on the ground floor of something.”
Wright expanded, “And unless it’s a franchise that, for some reason, is established that you can do whatever you want with each instalment, but that doesn’t seem to really be the case anymore. I don’t know. I mean, it would really depend on what the actual situation is. There have been times when I’ve been asked to do that, and I feel like what they really want to do is just continue the franchise as it is.”
The Baby Driver director didn’t rule out stepping into a franchise in the future; however, he would only do so if he felt his contribution was valuable, adding, “If you don’t think you can add anything to it, then it’s probably not good to get involved.”
- Edgar Wright on ‘The Running Man’ and 30 years of directing movies – FULL INTERVIEW
- Edgar Wright teases potential reunion with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost
- Edgar Wright on “nerve-wracking” moment Stephen King read ‘The Running Man’ script
Wright added, “If it’s something where they actively want you to do something different, then that’s a different matter.”
While it’s not part of a franchise, Wright’s latest movie, The Running Man, is an adaptation of the 1982 novel by King, published under the pen name Richard Bachmann.
In the same interview with Far Out, he called King a “writing hero of mine”, before sharing, “So the day that we finally sent him the script was a nerve-wracking one, because it was like handing in your coursework to the world’s most famous English teacher.”
The Running Man is out in cinemas now in UK and Irish ahead of its release in North America on November 14th.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.