Edgar Wright Reveals How Quentin Tarantino Came Up with ‘Last Night in Soho’ Title

Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino are longtime friends (they took part in a quarantine movie club during the pandemic, for instance), and this friendship ended up playing a role in the titling of Wright’s new psychological thriller, “Last Night in Soho.” It turns out the title was Tarantino’s doing, as Wright recently admitted to Total Film magazine.

“In ‘Death Proof,’ Quentin uses a Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song, ‘Hold Tight’,” Wright said. “I was talking to him about that song, and that band, and he said, ‘Have you ever heard “Last Night in Soho?”’ He played it for me, and he goes, ‘This is the best title music for a film that’s never been made.’”

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The original title for “Last Night in Soho” was “Red Light Area,” but Wright scrapped it once he discovered there was already a Cillian Murphy-starring movie with the title “Red Lights.” Wright’s next title idea was “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” but he then discovered on IMDb that “Night Has a Thousand Eyes” is already a movie.

“So then it was staring me in the face, because I’d heard this song, and I thought it was great: ‘Last Night in Soho,'” Wright said. “Quentin was deep into ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ so I hadn’t really had time to tell him. And then it was in the trades. I said, ‘Hey, did you hear what my movie’s called?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I read it.’ I said, ‘Are you annoyed with me?’ He goes, ‘You know what? Only you could make that movie.’”

Tarantino informed Wright that it was actually the director Allison Anders who first told him that “Last Night in Soho” was the greatest title music for a movie that’s never been made. Wright decided to thank both Tarantino and Anders in the “Soho” end credits.

“Last Night in Soho” world premiered at the Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film stars Thomas Mackenzie as a fashion design student who finds herself transported at night to 1960s London and into the body of an aspiring singer named Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy). IndieWire awarded the film an A- review out of Venice, calling Wright’s latest a “superb” movie.

“Left behind is his trademark hyperactive editing and insistent post-modernism; in its place is flowing movement and intense emotion,” critic Nicholas Barber writes for IndieWire. “It’s not just different from his previous films; it’s different from everyone else’s previous films.”

Focus Features is releasing “Last Night in Soho” in theaters October 29.