Currently one of the most exciting auteurs in Hollywood, Edgar Wright‘s released films end up being the exact vision he had in mind, from the acting to the direction and to the musical cues. With his recent film, Baby Driver, music permeates virtually every scene with songs that tie directly into the narrative and push the movie forward.
When speaking about his musical selections for the film with Time Out, the filmmaker revealed, “Music, for me, is a motivator.” He continued, “I can’t focus unless I have the right mood going. And to make a movie that’s essentially about that—music as both a salve and an obsession—I thought would be fascinating.”
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The director also revealed in the interview that the lead actor, Ansel Elgort, auditioned to a Beach Boys song for their first meeting.
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Wright also admitted that he’s had the idea for Baby Driver in his head for over 20 years, long before he became a staple of genre cinema, even predating his breakout hit TV series Spaced. Before pen was put to paper or fingers were put to a keyboard, Wright was crafting the film’s playlist, injecting it with the likes of Queen, The Damned, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Something that makes Wright such an exciting director is how often he creates his own source material, with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World being the only film he adapted from an existing story, but worked closely with author of the graphic novels Bryan Lee O’Malley to bring the film to life.
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Like many successful directors, Wright claims he was offered a variety of different projects after his unique films received high acclaim, admitting, “I got offered a couple of franchise movies that people would be shocked that I passed on.” He added, “If it’s the choice between doing ‘number three’ in an existing series or having the opportunity to do an original film, I have to grab [the latter] with both hands.” Wright concluded, “It’s my duty to film history.”
Wright almost directed a huge Hollywood movie, but citing “creative differences,” parted ways from Marvel Studios before filming Ant-Man. Considering the directorial shake-up on Disney’s Han Solo film, Wright shared his experience with the Marvel film to Variety.
“The most diplomatic answer is I wanted to make a Marvel movie but I don’t think they really wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie,” the filmmaker explained.
Baby Driver is in theaters now.
Photo Credit: TriStar Pictures
