* ActorInspiredElement: During rehearsals, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg would improvise things that later got added to the script.
* AwesomeDearBoy:
** Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg came up with the film after having so much fun doing a zombie sequence in an episode of ''Spaced'' and thinking a zombie film would be fun and easy to do.
--> '''Simon Pegg:''' "We were powered by naivete in those days."
** Kate Ashfield likewise signed on because of how "off the wall" the script was, expecting it to be a cult classic.
* BreakthroughHit: For Creator/EdgarWright.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle:
** In Russia, the film was renamed since the pun couldn't really be translated. What doesn't make sense is that they titled it ''A Zombie Named Shaun'', since Shaun is one of the few characters not to become a zombie.
** In Spain, the film was inexplicably released as "Zombies Party" (in English). To make it worse, the subtitle "A romantic comedy... with zombies" was changed to the very lame "A night... of death". Even though most of the film takes place during the day.
** In Italy, while Shaun was omitted from the title, the film was released as ''L'alba dei morti dementi'' ("Dawn of the Demented Dead") maintaining the reference to ''[[Film/DawnOfTheDead1978 Dawn of the Dead]]'' and being a pun on "morti viventi", the living dead.
** In Latin America, due to the original title being impossible to translate accurately, the film was renamed "Dead by Laughter", even though the film isn't entirely a comedy.
* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/EdgarWright and Creator/SimonPegg wrote the role of Ed especially for Creator/NickFrost.
* TheDanza: Creator/PeterSerafinowicz as Pete.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the DVD's outakes of the scene where Shaun and Ed call out for Pete, after they learn that being bitten by a zombie turns you into another - Ed calls Pete 'Peter Serafinowicz'.
* DisabledCharacterDisabledActor: Amputees were used for several of the zombies, most notably a one-armed bridegroom, and a legless zombie Shaun and Ed accidentally run over.
* DVDCommentary: The DVD features numerous commentaries, including one with zombies. In fact, Creator/EdgarWright himself states on the Director's Commentary that his aim is to have "More commentary tracks than ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''". If you include ''Series/{{Spaced}}'', ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', and ''Film/BabyDriver'', he's pretty much done this.
* MethodActing: Nick Frost (Ed) allegedly kept his genitals shaved during filming to create an actual desire to scratch them that the character shows.
* NoBudget: The entire movie was made on a budget of 4 million pounds (about 6 million dollars at the time).
* OrphanedReference: Multiple to Shaun's abandoned lifelong dream of becoming a DJ. These include his DJ pyjama top, his vinyl collection, a poster referring to him as Shaun "Smiley" Riley, and his DJ skills while partying with Ed. However, any direct reference in the dialogue was cut as it became unnecessary to establish Shaun's present status as a downbeat loser.
* PromotedFanboy: Many of the zombie extras are fans of ''Series/{{Spaced}}''. They were recruited through the ''Spaced Out'' fan website to be in the film.
* RealLifeRelative: Lucy Davis encouraged her mom Hazel to turn out as a Zombie extra. You have to look swiftly and know exactly where, but you can spot Hazel. Hazel is perhaps better known for her lifelong marriage to comedic legend Creator/JasperCarrott.
* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Sort of. Penelope Wilton had a teenage daughter at the time and remarks that her "street cred went up" because she turned into a zombie.
* StillbornFranchise: Pegg and Wright considered a sequel titled ''From Dusk Till Shaun'' that would replace zombies with another monster (likely vampires, [[Film/FromDuskTillDawn given the title]]), but decided against it as they were pleased with the first film as a stand-alone product, and thought too many characters died to continue the story.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The original script called for Shaun to beat Mary and the hulking zombie with a girl's bicycle.
** The record smashing scene where they keep Music/{{Prince}}'s ''Music/PurpleRain'' and ''Music/SignOTheTimes'' and throw [[Music/Batman1989 the]] ''[[Music/Batman1989 Batman]]'' [[Music/Batman1989 soundtrack]] was originally written with Music/DavidBowie in mind (with Shaun and Ed keeping ''Music/HunkyDory'' and ''[[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars Ziggy Stardust]]'' and throwing the ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' soundtrack). They ultimately went with Prince because they thought it was funnier.
*** Additionally, Pegg and Wright were required to contact the artists to get permission to include their album covers in the scene. Only Music/{{Sade}} and Music/NewOrder gave the filmmakers permission, while [[Music/DireStraits Mark Knopfler]], Music/{{Prince}}, and Music/TheStoneRoses did not respond (meaning that their album covers are not actually shown on camera).
** Had they been unable to get the rights to [[Music/{{Queen}} Don't Stop Me Now]], the iconic fight scene would have been set to Music/BoneyM's "Rasputin".
** Creator/DavidWalliams was considered for [[TheDanza David]].
** Creator/HelenMirren was offered the role of Barbara. She declined, saying that she wanted to play Ed, because he had the funniest lines.
** Shaun and Ed were going to have a double OhCrap shouting "Pete!" when remembering he'd talked about being bitten the night before. Pegg and Frost proved to be completely unable to do it without cracking up, so instead the scene cuts to Shaun hesitantly calling for Pete.
* WriterRevolt: The long shot of Shaun walking to the shop was disliked by the film's cinematographer, who felt as scripted it was boring and likely to be cut. Edgar Wright then opted to add even more detail into it, determined to make a shot that was "so amazing it was impossible to cut it."
* WriteWhatYouKnow: Shaun and Ed's friendship is based on Creator/SimonPegg's and Creator/NickFrost's when they shared a flat together.
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