When you talk about beloved horror films of the past 25 years or so, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than “Shaun of the Dead.” The film is regarded as one of the very best horror comedies, and one of the best zombie films. That said, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if Universal decided to reboot it, as studios have been doing in recent years. But if Universal did decide to remake or reboot “Shaun of the Dead,” the studio would have to deal with the wrath of Simon Pegg.
In a recent interview with THR, where he talked about his recent emotional arc on “The Boys,” Simon Pegg was asked about the 20th anniversary of the release of “Shaun of the Dead.” Specifically, the question about a reboot came up, and Pegg didn’t hold back his criticism of that idea.
“I mean, Universal [Pictures] owns it,” said Pegg. “If they choose to reboot it, then they can if they want I guess. Although Edgar [Wright] and I would be incensed. (Laughs.)”
He added, “There’s so much of our own heart and soul in that film. If someone was to reboot it, it would be a cynical and exploitative exercise. I would hope that people are in love with our ‘Shaun’ enough to resist a reboot.”
Of all the reboots and remakes that have infected the horror genre over the years, a “Shaun of the Dead” reboot doesn’t seem like a good idea for a number of reasons. First, you’d have to find actors to replace Pegg and Nick Frost, who are both the heart and soul of the film. That alone would probably be too difficult to begin with. Then, you’d have to answer the biggest question—what’s the point? And that’s where the “cynical and exploitative” comment comes into play. It would honestly only be to make money, which people would see right through.
All that to say, it would seem very stupid of Universal to consider a reboot of “Shaun of the Dead.” However, there’s always the revival or legacy sequel idea. Would fans be interested in seeing what has happened in the time since the first ‘Shaun?’ If they did it to “Ghostbusters” and “Scream,” with huge box office results, then why not “Shaun of the Dead.” Ok yeah, that’s a terrible idea too.