Edgar Wright Says Hollywood Franchises Should "Take a Breather"

"I feel like there are certain things that I loved that I don't want to see again, or I don't want to see them again for a long time"

Photo by Wilson Webb

BY Nika Petrosian Published Nov 28, 2023

Edgar Wright thinks that big Hollywood film studios should take a break from over-producing dozens of films and film series — except for James Bond.

In a recent episode of John Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Last Night in Soho/Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director insisted that Hollywood production companies shouldn't be afraid of taking breaks and letting audiences build anticipation for future projects.

"I wish some franchises would just kind of have the sense to just take a breather and let people get excited about it again," said Wright in the podcast.

Speaking from personal experience, he said: "I feel like there are certain things that I loved that I don't want to see again, or I don't want to see them again for a long time."

In a potential dig toward the MCU, the director also nudges at big production companies and their tendencies to pump out dozens of different films in the same series, saying, "One of my problems with film franchises is sometimes they announce — I'm not mentioning any names or anything — when they announce like massive slates of films and TV shows … there's a danger of killing the golden goose."

Wright said the lack of investment in newer, fresher projects runs the risk of oversaturating the market with the same story, and desensitizing audiences. The only notable film series that is exempt from this, in the director's eyes, is the 007 saga.

"They are smart enough to put the breaks on and build anticipation, so you'll be excited for the next one. I think one of the problems now is that I wish some films and series … would understand that it's okay to take a break and build anticipation," he said.

Hear Wright talk Martin Scorsese, Scott Pilgrim, The World's End and more below.

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