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Actress Anna Kendrick says the opportunity to work with writer/director Edgar Wright is what drew her to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Though a box office bomb, the film has gained a cult following since its release in 2010 mostly due to its highly stylized special effects. Kendrick, however, wasn’t at all sure the film would work on screen when she read the script. 

What is ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ about?

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (which is currently available on Netflix) follows Michael Cera’s Scott on his mission to battle the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his crush, Romona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Meanwhile, he is also playing with his band in an epic Battle of the Bands, warding off his ex-girlfriend (played by Ellen Wong) who he hasn’t quite broken up with yet, and maintaining his slacker cool all the while. 

Heavy on visual effects to pay homage to the film’s comic book roots, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a wild ride. So much so that Kendrick (who plays Scott’s younger and intensely passive-aggressive sister, Stacey) says she was very unsure about the film when she read the script.

Anna Kendrick was a huge fan of Edgar Wright movies when she read the script for ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’

In a career retrospective interview with Vanity Fair, Kendrick recalls her hesitations when she first read the script for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. By this time, Kendrick had exploded in Hollywood following her roles in both the Twilight series and her supporting role in Up in the Air for which she earned an Oscar nomination.

While watching the film in the interview, Kendrick tells Vanity Fair that she had no idea how the script would translate to the screen. “I remember being the only one to be like, ‘I think that this might be a tough buy for the audience,” the actress says while rewatching the first fight sequence turned musical number in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 

However, Kendrick was a huge fan of Wright’s previous projects like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so, despite her hesitations, Kendrick said, “I just wanted to work with Edgar Wright.” 

“I’m just gonna trust that he sees it,” Kenrick recalls thinking at the time. “Which he did… it’s so awesome.”

Anna Kendrick’s dating history includes Edgar Wright

Anna Kendrick poses for photos in front of a black background.
Anna Kendrick attends the “Alice, Darling” Premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival I Amy Sussman/Getty Images
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Following their work on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Kendrick and Wright began dating. 

Kendrick’s dating history has been in the spotlight recently after the Alice, Darling actress revealed she was in an emotionally abusive relationship similar to that of her character, Alice. While Kendrick has not mentioned which of her past relationships inspired her performance in Alice, Darling, it is believed to be that of her and cinematographer, Ben Richardson. 

Speaking to Dax Shepherd during his Armchair Expert podcast in January 2023, Kendrick specified the toxic relationship was one that lasted over six years. According to Parade, Kendrick and Wright were together from 2009 to 2013 and split amicably due to distance and the demands of their careers. 
Since Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Wright has gone on to write and direct several attention-grabbing films like the Oscar-nominated Baby Driver and Last Night in Soho starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith. Meanwhile, Kendrick has gone on to star in numerous leading roles in films like Pitch Perfect, A Simple Favor, and, most recently, Alice, Darling.

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