'Fuzz' director's new projects draw on comics

By Matthew Price

Published: August 31, 2007

Director Edgar Wright, who delivered one of the year's best films in "Hot Fuzz,” could visit the world of comics with two of his upcoming projects.

In a recent interview promoting the DVD release of "Hot Fuzz,” Wright also shared information about "Ant-Man” and "Scott Pilgrim.”

Wright's "Ant-Man” film would be based on a treatment Wright wrote circa 2001 that focuses on the Scott Lang Ant-Man, who was the second character to wear the costume.

Scott Lang was an electronics-savvy ex-con who stole the Ant-Man costume and shrinking capsules after his daughter, Cassie, became seriously ill. Using the capsules, Lang rescued a doctor who could cure his daughter. He attempted to turn himself in after his daughter was cured, but Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, encouraged Lang to keep the costume — and to stay on the side of the law.

As Ant-Man, Scott can collapse the molecules of his body and shrink to about 1 inch tall. His cybernetic helmet allows him to communicate with nearby insects.

"I suppose when I was a little kid, I had the ‘Marvel Premiere,' which was the Scott Lang origin,” Wright said. "I remember that I'd bought that. But I'd read back issues with the Henry Pym story and the back issues of him.”

Wright said he'd keep "Ant-Man” a solo adventure and not bring in the Avengers — Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and others — who have frequently worked with Ant-Man.

"It's impossible in a two-hour film to tell ‘The Avengers' with any sort of perspective, really,” Wright said. "Something like X-Men or Fantastic Four — that's a lot of ground to cover in one feature film, even three feature films. So, I think I'd rather focus on something with one character.”

Wright's other comic-related project, "Scott Pilgrim,” is based on the series of graphic novels by Canadian Bryan O'Malley. Scott Pilgrim is a slacker 20-something in a band who falls for Ramona Flowers. The rollerblading delivery girl travels through his dreams while on her route.

To date Ramona, Scott must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

"We're working on it as we speak,” Wright said. "We actually wrote a draft before ‘Hot Fuzz' started production. Bryan has read it, and we're doing a second draft of it.”

Wright said he's a fan of comics but hasn't read them as much since he was a teenager.

"My comic-book reading has lapsed slightly. Not that I'm not interested, but I've been sort of preoccupied,” the "Shaun of the Dead” director said.

Wright said he was pleased with the reception to "Hot Fuzz,” which made back four times its production budget in the United Kingdom before opening in the United States.

"It seemed like the right fit after ‘Shaun of the Dead,'” Wright said. "I'd always wanted to do a British action film, and it seemed like a fun idea to actually attempt it. It was the perfect kind of vehicle to do next.”

"Hot Fuzz” stars Simon Pegg as Sgt. Nicholas Angel, London's top cop whose dedication to his job is making the other officers look bad. He's transferred to sleepy Sanford, which hasn't seen a murder in years. Angel, with new partner Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), investigates the town's many accidents. Butterman, an action-movie aficionado, is thrilled by his partner's big-city exploits and attempts to help him crack the mystery before more people end up dead.

The original idea behind "Hot Fuzz” was to bring slam-bang Hollywood action to a rural area. Much of the film was lensed in Wright's hometown of Wells.

"It was good going back to my hometown,” Wright said. "When we actually got there to scout, it was the easiest location to scout, because I knew where everything was.”

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