Chris Evans mocked Scott Pilgrim Takes Off co-star Michael Cera for randomly posting in the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, according to Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley.
O’Malley recalled a pleasant exchange between one-time and future collaborators Cera and Evans in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “The cast talked a lot about this email chain but there was one detail that I don’t think anyone mentioned,” he said. “We were exchanging emails when [Scott Pilgrim] the movie was about to come out and then the subject went dormant for about nine years. Then, before this anime was included in the list, Michael Cera responded to a meme someone sent as if no time had passed. He just said, ‘Oh, that’s funny.’ Chris Evans responded with, ‘Michael, what the hell are you doing responding to this email from nine years ago?’ And then we all started talking again.”
An anime series inspired by O’Malley’s popular Scott Pilgrim graphic novel, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off sees the original film’s core cast (including Cera and Evans) take on the roles of Surname. Even so, the anime’s co-creators O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski are quick to note that fans shouldn’t expect it to be a panel-by-panel recreation of the six-episode Scott Pilgrim. Instead, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off presents a different perspective on O’Malley’s story — an innovative approach that O’Malley himself not only supported but actively promoted. “I had to put a new coat of paint on it and fiddle with it,” he said.
Bryan Lee O’Malley unpacks the changes Scott Pilgrim made
Some of the major changes O’Malley and Grabinski made to the source material of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off involved Ramona Flowers, whom O’Malley described as a more fully formed character in the anime. “It’s fun to try to give you more of an emotional connection with [Ramona] and add as much shade as possible,” he enthuses. O’Malley and Grabinski added that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will spend more time on Ramona’s life outside of her relationship with Scott. They also revealed that unlike her graphic novel and live-action counterparts, the anime incarnation of Ramona would not be suitable for Amazon.
While these changes risk alienating the Scott Pilgrim fanbase, Cera recently emphasized that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will capture the spirit of the original story. “It’s weird and it’s fun,” he said. “Scott Pilgrim has such a special energy. The whole project, the whole world of Scott Pilgrim, is so energetic and really funny.”
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off premieres on Netflix on November 17, 2023.
Source: EW
