As a film that he first conceived over a decade ago that is set in the area of London he’s spent a quarter of a century working from, the making of Last Night in Soho — starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie and Matt Smith — was an “emotional experience” for Edgar Wright.
But for the British writer-director, undoubtedly the most poignant element of Focus Feature’s psychological time-twisting horror — having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival — was that it would be the final role for screen icon Diana Rigg, who passed away in Sept. 2020.
“It’s desperately sad that I won’t get to have another gossipy brunch with Dame Diana Rigg, but the only thing I can take away from it is how lucky I was to work with her and know her,” he said, speaking at the film’s press conference in Venice after its first two industry screenings. “I had a very beautiful experience of being with her, at her house, and having a laugh, with her on fine form, and those are the things I really cherish about it.”
Related Stories
Wright said that he was shooting with Rigg — best known for 1960s series The Avengers, playing James Bond’s wife in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and, more recently, for Game of Thrones — “right up until the end,” with the production informed that she had to wrap her work on the movie.
“She’s such a professional and really prided herself on that,” he said. “When we were told that she needed to finish very urgently, we knew what that meant without asking any more. We’re all so incredibly fortunate to have known her and worked with her.”
Last Night in Soho — due for release in late October after being delayed several times due to the pandemic — makes its bow on the Lido in Venice on Saturday night, with Taylor-Joy and Smith in attendance.
