The “perfect” 1981 movie Edgar Wright refused to remake: “I have nothing to add to it”
Edgar Wright has always liked to pay homage in his work. From the naming of his hit zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, of course, taking inspiration from George A Romero’s classic, to the obvious giallo inspiration at the heart of Last Night in Soho’s colour palette, the British filmmaker loves to drop a reference or two.
More overtly, Wright recently took on a remake, bringing a fresh vision of Stephen King’s story, The Running Man, to the big screen, despite the fact that it had already been adapted in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Clearly, if he is given the chance to bring a new version of a pre-existing narrative to life, he’s not against the challenge.
But there was once a time when the idea was floated for Wright to direct a remake of a certain horror-comedy that he has, time and time again, cited as one of his all-time favourite movies. That’s right – in an alternative universe, there’s a version of An American Werewolf in London directed by Wright.
The filmmaker adores the classic tale of a man-turned-lycanthrope who destroys various lives, including his own. He once said, “I suppose the reason that this film changed my life is that very early on in my film-watching experiences, I saw a film that was so sophisticated in its tone and what it managed to achieve. It really changed my life. It’s informed both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.”
It’s not hard to see the influence. During the 2000s, Wright became one of the leading figures in the comedy-horror genre, with his Cornetto Trilogy asserting his beloved status as a filmmaker well adept at mixing classic British sensibilities and humour with genuine fear factor. Many people have tried and failed to reach the glorious heights of something like An American Werewolf in London, but Wright can proudly say that he has come pretty close.
So, it was hardly surprising, then, when director John Landis suggested the idea for a Wright-directed version of the movie, although it seemed to be a plan with little promise of actually coming to fruition. That was fine with Wright, though, because he didn’t want to do it.
“It was years ago,” he told Slash Film. “There was no script, just the idea of doing it. John, whom I love, asked me, and I said it’s a perfect movie as far as I’m concerned, and I have nothing to add to it.” It’s not like it would’ve been able to go ahead anyway, because, according to Landis’ son, Max, his father didn’t actually have the rights to the film.
So, luckily, An American Werewolf in London – which saw Griffin Dunne and David Naughton experience a pretty unfortunate run-in with a werewolf while backpacking through the Yorkshire countryside – remains untouched.
While an unsuccessful sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, does exist, the legacy of the original still stands strong… It changed horror comedy forever with its effortless wit, which merged with genuine terror so seamlessly.
