By Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning actor Simon Pegg has established a status as one of the most cherished genre performers, with his heartfelt zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead propelling him to global acclaim. Nevertheless, although he has collaborated with Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright on several spiritual sequels to the cult-favorite film, Pegg expresses a lack of interest in a direct follow-up or reboot of the original.
“I believe it’s best left untouched. I see no reason for a reboot. Some narratives simply have a start, middle, and conclusion. The challenge with sequels sometimes is that you must reverse the resolution of the first film to initiate a new tale,” Pegg shares in a Reddit AMA. “And in franchises like Mission: Impossible, or the superhero genre, or Star Trek, it succeeds because it’s an ongoing journey. However, with Shaun of the Dead, Shaun experiences an arc that he begins and concludes. We appreciate the way that wraps up.”
“I think that at times, when you sequel a film like that, you risk tarnishing the original, because upon rewatching the original, you might be thinking, ‘Well, they’ll have to face this other issue.’ The resolution loses its significance. So, no, that’s the answer to that inquiry!”
Pegg is not opposed to sequels in general – Final Reckoning marks his sixth Mission: Impossible entry, and he has participated in three Star Trek films – so he’s undoubtedly speaking from a personal connection to Shaun of the Dead.
And while the film will probably never receive a sequel, Pegg and Wright’s partnerships, including Shaun of the Dead follow-ups Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, comprise a so-called ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ of thematically akin films that delve into human relationships through genre-blending storylines.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is scheduled for May 21 in UK cinemas and May 23 in US theatres. For further details, refer to our guide on all the most thrilling forthcoming films of 2025.