That Hot Fuzz is just the second-best movie in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy speaks volumes about the quality of those three films. Perched between Shaun of the Dead and the underrated The World’s End, the adventures of Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz took Gloucestershire to the pinnacle of Hollywood, paying homage to action genre classics, while retaining those trademark Cornetto-isms.
The Cornetto trilogy’s astounding success profoundly impacted cinema on both sides of the pond. The central trio of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have all gone on to enjoy varied careers buoyed by acclaim. The trilogy itself has stood the test of time and cemented its legacy with generations too young to appreciate it upon release, and of course, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have both had their copycats.
Bob Odenkirk’s Normal Follows A Very Similar Premise To Hot Fuzz
In Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg’s Nicholas Angel is a police officer moved from London to the small, rural town of Sandford, where crime is a rarity. Just as Angel begins adjusting to his new job chasing swans and attending fêtes – and even starts to endear himself to the locals – he uncovers a vast underground conspiracy at the very heart of Sandford. Before long, Angel is embroiled in gunfights with everyone from the vicar to the publican.
Bob Odenkirk’s Normal follows broadly the same idea. Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a cop moved to the small, rural town of Normal, Minnesota, where, again, major crimes would appear unlikely. He begins settling into the slower pace of life and making friends with Normal’s small population, only to find himself knee-deep in a conspiracy that involves the entire town. Just like Sandford, Normal turns into a battlefield pitting Ulysses against the town’s angry armed citizens.
The two films aren’t exactly alike. Hot Fuzz leans more into comedy and Normal more into action, although elements of each genre populate both. Normal also takes some twists and turns that move it away from Hot Fuzz.
Still, smaller details, such as Ulysses using his quiet new lifestyle as an opportunity for self-reflection, bring it right back, and Bob Odenkirk mirrors Simon Pegg in being an actor primarily known for comedy moving into the action realm.
Ultimately, it’s that “man vs. secretive population of rural town” concept that drives the two movies. Hot Fuzz made the idea feel so unique and executed it with such panache, it’s impossible to watch Normal without getting flashbacks to James Bond murdering Romeo and Juliet.
Normal Is Probably As Close As We’re Getting To Hot Fuzz 2
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg have consistently shown interest in working together again, and since the combination of their tastes is so unique, it’s inevitable that any future projects will share traits in common with the Cornetto trilogy. At the same time, those involved in the Cornetto movies have shut down direct sequels to Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz.
In 2023, Simon Pegg acknowledged calls for a Shaun of the Dead 2 or Hot Fuzz with a Pension, but expressed no desire to revisit those characters, explaining, “I feel like it’s a lazy impulse for people to embrace familiarity and just accept the same thing again.“
If Hot Fuzz 2 did happen, it couldn’t be set in Sandford again. In all likelihood, Nicholas Angel would be sent to another small town and uncover yet another big criminal network. Since that isn’t going to happen, Normal feels like the closest the world will ever get to a Hot Fuzz sequel, with Pegg’s protagonist and Wright’s direction the two crucial ingredients missing.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
