As movie-fans have eased into quarantine life during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have taken to watching films that can be described as "on theme." One such title is Edgar Wright's zom-rom-com Shaun Of The Dead, which has been particularly spotlighted because of one scene where the titular Shaun (played by Simon Pegg) lays out a plan that allows him and his friends and family to relax while waiting for the whole undead apocalypse to "blow over."
Now, to entertain us all during this time of crisis, Simon Pegg and his Shaun of the Dead co-star Nick Frost have created an updated version of the fan-favorite sequence specifically tied to the on-going threat from the novel Coronavirus:
While everyone around the world is staying at home, fretting about livelihoods and personal safety, entertainers have been doing their best to try and raise public spirits – be it Arnold Schwarzenegger's various video updates or Mel Brooks and his son informing us how we can all work together to protect legends like Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke. Now we have this latest entry to a strange chapter of pop culture from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and it's absolutely delightful.
The duo that played Shaun and Ed in Edgar Wright's brilliant 2004 film are clearly practicing social distancing, recording their respective sides of the phone conversation from their own homes, but have provided a wonderful and super funny new version of a great scene that is also an informative PSA. For comparison, you can watch the original scene from Shaun of the Dead below:
Not only is it nice to watch this updated take, but it's also great just to see Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on screen together again. Their history together is full of hilarious brilliance, from the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (of which Shaun of the Dead is a part), to the amazing sitcom Spaced, and seeing more of them together is definitely welcome. The good news is that this is actually the first YouTube video posted by their co-founded production company, Stolen Picture, so perhaps this will be just the first of more re-teams in the near future.
After this, now I'm hoping that we'll start seeing more actors reunite (albeit not in-person) to recreate scenes from their careers that can be adjusted to become PSAs about the COVID-19 pandemic. If they can be even half as fun as this Shaun of the Dead video, they will provide much needed smiles during a time of tension and worry.
This is a beat we definitely find ourselves now following here on CinemaBlend as all theatrical releases have been delayed and major cinemas shut down, so stay tuned here for all of the latest updates from the world of entertainment.
