Pegg pointed out that “Shaun of the Dead” managed to avoid inserting or changing certain references so they would be more easily received in the United States. That’s mostly because the pop culture references aren’t inherently British or difficult for American audiences to understand. As Pegg explained to The Hollywood Reporter:

“We didn’t make any concessions to sort of transatlantic-ism. A lot of the British rom-coms would do that. I remember watching ‘Notting Hill,’ which is a film which I absolutely love, by the way. It’s such a great movie. But it starts out — aside from all the whiteness of Notting Hill, which was a bit embarrassing — but the first scene, it winds up on a stained glass window of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head.’”

It’s the kind of reference that makes the movie land a bit more firmly with American audiences. But Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg made sure they didn’t have to do any of that in “Shaun of the Dead.” Pegg said they “wanted to make a film that was culturally specific.” But this one change had to be made for logistical reasons.

In the first act of “Shaun of the Dead,” before the boys realize there are zombies shuffling around town, they spot a woman standing in the garden in their backyard. When they manage to get her attention, Shaun and Ed briefly look concerned at her condition, and we assume they’re about to be terrified by her undead presence. Instead, Shaun says, “Oh my God. She’s so drunk.” However, the initial script had a slightly different line there.