Simon Pegg Reveals Original Outline For The World’s End
This article is more than 2 years old
Warning: spoilers for The World’s End!
August 2011, me and @edgarwright, one page, whole film. The very beginnings of The World's End. pic.twitter.com/KHU0RIqvNx
— Simon Pegg (@simonpegg) February 10, 2014
Because I’m realistic, I know there are people who don’t think that Edgar Wright is one of the few consistently amazing directors out there, or that Simon Pegg is the coolest celebrity ever. But I don’t have to like those people. While I begin the outline for my loathing, the rest of us can enjoy a special treat Simon Pegg shared on his Twitter feed. It’s a picture of him and Wright standing next to a full outline for last year’s fried gold comedy The World’s End, taken back in August 2011.
When I think of most of the bigger science fiction films that have come out in recent years, most of them seem relatively by-the-book in the way their plots are mapped out. The World’s End definitely didn’t break traditional structuring in half, but every step through the story felt fresh and exciting. Seeing it all mapped out like this on an outline makes it even more obvious how clever the duo are as scriptwriters, turning such a meticulously conceived trek through Storytelling 101 into a thesis paper on drunken, post-apocalyptic friendship.
Below you can find a larger close-up of the outline in all its red-and-black-inked glory.
It’s kind of like reading a Syd Field screenwriting guide while Wright’s director’s commentary for The World’s End plays in the background. And it makes me want to watch the movie again. I want to watch Gary round up the crew again in the “teaming up with ally” stage. I want to see the fast conflict in the bathroom with all the blue blood and ass whippings. And I want to see that crazy-ass ending again. (Happy for Gary!) For it being my favorite comedy of last year, you might have thought I’d watched it more than once.
This kind of behind-the-scenes stuff doesn’t work for all films, but it pairs nicely with the annotated screenplays they released last year for each of their films, and who doesn’t love getting to know more about the people making such genius humor? Wanna know a little bit more about the pranking that went on during this production?
The world would actually have to end before I’d ever stop thinking these guys were awesome. But since it isn’t ending, let’s all go have pints. Your treat.
