TV & Movies

There’s a Hot Fuzz cameo in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Hot Fuzzfocus features

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an homage to Edgar Wright’s original work, but that includes his other movies, such as Hot Fuzz.

Scott Pilgrim is back, or rather, he’s taking off. Originally directed by Edgar Wright, and based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs The World followed a “bass guitarist for a garage-rock band, Scott Pilgrim has never had trouble getting a girlfriend; usually, the problem is getting rid of them. But when Ramona Flowers skates into his heart, he finds she has the most troublesome baggage of all: an army of ex-boyfriends who will stop at nothing to eliminate him from her list of suitors.”

Now, that same cast is back for the anime series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which has landed on Netflix, directed by BenDavid Grabinski along with writer and original creator O’Malley.

But turns out that Wright’s role as co-showrunner has allowed him to take aspects of his previous work and incorporate it into this new anime. Specifically, the characters of Hot Fuzz, and the actors themselves.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost cameo in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

If you’re watching Episodes 4 and 8 of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, you may spot two studio security guards who sound oddly familiar. This is because they are voiced by Hot Fuzz stars, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

You can even check out the credits for proof, which state “Simon Pegg as Studio Security #1” and “Nick Frost as Studio Security #2.” The pair even take on their usual roles; with Pegg’s character being more uptight and serious, and his co-star being more goofy and lax.

For those who don’t know, Hot Fuzz was a major comedy back in the late 2000s, following: “Hot-shot police officer Nicholas Angel smells foul play when the residents of a sleepy Somerset village start to die in terrible accidents. Something’s afoot and he must work with daft local plod Danny Butterman to find out what.”

The pair’s security guard work is a little less serious than their police work ends up being, as they are simply guarding a set for an upcoming movie depiction of “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” – an obvious meta joke in the series, as it is basically an in-universe adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

There are plenty of other references in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Naturally any Scott Pilgrim project is referential, and this one has more than we can count. Since the series takes a twist on the original story, it has to incorporate classic jokes in different ways.

For example, Scott ties his shoelaces in a different fight, and “bread makes you fat” is incorporated in song form.

While being different, the anime has proven immensely popular, with a 100% Critic’s Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So get watching it if you haven’t, and check out all the references!

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is now available to stream on Netflix. Check out our other coverage of the series below:

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