With this week’s big return to theaters, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World finds itself ready to welcome fans who are ready to return to the movies. Some may have seen the film in its initial release, while others may be finally heading out to see Edgar Wright’s action-musical explosion for the first time on the big screen. Both camps are in for their own unique set of thrills, and for loyal fans of Wright’s adaptation, the director is excited for people to rediscover one particular moment that he still holds near and dear: the fight between Ramona Flowers and evil ex #4, Roxy Richter.
Speaking with Edgar Wright on behalf of the 10th anniversary re-release for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a lot of our conversation covered the massive love fans have for the film. Initially a disastrous release in theaters, despite very promising buzz, it was almost instantly championed by fans. Whether you’re new to the world that Scott Pilgrim is fighting, or if you’re as familiar with it as Wright and the fanbase are, the scene that always impresses him all over again is the following:
I think one of my favorite sequences is in the movie, which is one that maybe, like there are other bits of the film that are more famous. But I always think that, for me, my favorite fight scene in the movie is the Roxy fight with Mae Whitman in the night club, where like Ramoma and Roxy are fighting. I think we shot that, I might be wrong, but I remember that we shot that in like four days. And when I watched that sequence again, I was like ‘How did we shoot this in four days? It looks amazing!’ I think that the lighting, and the photography, and the visual effects in that sequence are just, like, astonishing. The girls are so great and the choreography is really great, and Nigel Godrich’s score is amazing. I mean, I’m really happy with the whole thing, but that’s one sequence that whenever it comes up, I’m like, ‘Ah. This looks great, this looks fantastic.’
It’s about to look and sound even more fantastic, as that big 10th anniversary event that sees Scott Pilgrim vs. The World heading back to theaters is thanks to Edgar Wright and Universal putting their heads together. As both parties have been racking their brains to figure out how to engage Bryan Lee O’Malley’s six volume adventure again, outside of the standard sequel approach, Wright suggested that a new theatrical window was the way to go. Which lead to a big project that saw a lot of the crew that initially put Scott Pilgrim together the first time fine tune the movie into an even more vibrant experience.
Everyone has their favorite jokes, musical cues, and fight sequences when it comes to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Even fans that first discovered the 2010 movie on home video, or through repertory screenings at a theater near them, could probably rattle off the moments they’d love to see on a big screen again. And now, with a Dolby Cinema version that has brought the movie back in its most pristine picture and sound, people will be able to get that experience into their lives again.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World heads back to theaters, in beautiful Dolby Atmos and Vision, where available. So don’t forget to check your local listings, and get your tickets while you can, as it’s only here for a week. After that point, you just might be a big Dolby-furious that you missed out; which means you’ll need to see what’s in store to console your sorrowful soul.
