Synopsis

London police sergeant Nicholas Angel is transferred to the apparently idyllic village of Sandford after his exceptional record embarrasses his colleagues. Paired with enthusiastic but inexperienced constable Danny Butterman, Angel initially finds little serious crime to investigate. When a series of suspicious deaths unsettles the community, the mismatched partners uncover a conspiracy that turns the sleepy setting into a battleground for explosive action.

Factoids & Trivia

• Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright spent 18 months developing the screenplay. Their research included watching 138 police and action films and conducting more than 50 interviews with police officers.

• Wells, Somerset, served as the principal setting for Sandford. It was also Edgar Wright's hometown, and the production used recognizable locations including the Crown pub, the Bishop's Palace, and the city streets.

• Wells Cathedral was digitally removed from shots of the town because the filmmakers wanted St. Cuthbert's Church to dominate Sandford's skyline.

• Filming began in March 2006 and lasted approximately 11 weeks. Scenes were also shot at police training facilities in Hendon and Gravesend, helping give the action sequences a more authentic setting.

• The first edit was around 30 minutes longer than the finished film. The production also released video blogs during filming, giving audiences an early behind-the-scenes look at the project.

• The Cornetto joke began as a small reference to *Shaun of the Dead*. It became more prominent here and later helped inspire the unofficial Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy.

• During the supermarket scene with Timothy Dalton, Dalton reportedly returned early the following morning to perform off-camera so Simon Pegg could play the scene opposite him during close-up shots.