Baby Driver is a 2017 action film written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver seeking freedom from a life of crime with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal appear in supporting roles. Eric Fellner and his Working Title Films partner Tim Bevan produced Baby Driver in association with Big Talk Productions’ Nira Park. Sony and TriStar Pictures handled commercial distribution of the film. Baby Driver was financed through a co-production pact between TriStar and MRC and tax subsidies from the Georgia state government.
Wright developed Baby Driver for over two decades. He devised the idea while in his youth, and his early directing experience further shaped his ambitions for Baby Driver. Originally based in Los Angeles, Wright revised the film’s setting to Atlanta, integrating the city’s ethos into an important storytelling device. Principal photography took place in Atlanta over four months, from February to May 2016. Production involved the planning of meticulously coordinated stunts, choreography, and in-camera shooting. Critics have examined Baby Driver’s subject matter in thematic studies of the film, with emphasis on its use of color symbolism and focus on Baby’s evolving morality.
Baby Driver premiered at the South by Southwest festival on March 11, 2017, and was released in North America and the United Kingdom on June 28. It was well received by the media for its craftsmanship and style, though the characterization and screenwriting drew occasional criticism. The National Board of Review selected Baby Driver as one of the top films of the year. It earned $226 million globally, bolstered by positive word-of-mouth support and flagging interest in blockbuster franchises. Baby Driver was nominated for numerous awards, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Film Awards (with a win for Editing), two Critics’ Choice Awards (again, with a win for Editing), and a Golden Globe Award, and won several other honors, chiefly for technical achievement. The success of Baby Driver has increased studio interest in producing a sequel.
