Actress Ellen Wong had her breakthrough in Edgar Wright’s action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs the World. She played the role of Knives Chau in the film, the younger girlfriend of Michael Cera’s Scott Pilgrim, who is obsessed with his band Sex Bob-Omb. She is at odds with Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Ramona Flowers as Scott starts dating the latter.
Wong reprised her role as Chau in the Netflix original anime series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off along with many others from the film’s cast. However, there was a slight change in her character, as she became a member of the band herself after she separated from Scott Pilgrim. Wong mentioned that she was nervous about this change as she had to sing.
Also read: Edgar Wright Reveals How He Convinced Scott Pilgrim Cast to Return For Netflix’s Anime Adaptation
What Changes Were Made To Ellen Wong’s Knives Chau In Scott Pilgrim Takes Off?
Fans were ecstatic when director Edgar Wright announced that his cult classic film Scott Pilgrim vs the World would be getting another adaptation in the form of an anime series for Netflix. Wright was set to be the executive producer of the show based on the popular comics by Bryan Lee O’Malley and many of the cast members of the film set to return.
Actors such as Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, and more were all set to return to their roles in the animated series titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The series was set to reinvent the comic book and the film, changing the arc of a few characters and the storylines while still retaining the vibe of the original.
Also read: How Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Stacks Up to the Movie (SPOILERS)
One such change was Ellen Wong’s character Knives Chau. In the film, Chau is introduced as the over-enthusiastic high-school girlfriend of Cera’s Scott Pilgrim, who is obsessed with the music played by his band Sex Bob-Omb. While in the show she chases Scott after he breaks up with her, in the show Ellen Wong joins the band herself, thus giving her a larger sense of purpose.
This gave a much-needed update to her character which was centered around a guy in a toxic relationship. While the film addressed Scott’s toxicity and bad behavior when it came to Knives Chau, the series seems to have taken it in a whole new direction and given the character agency.
Also read: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – Why it’s Better than You Remember
Ellen Wong’s Knives Chau Had To Sing In Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Due to the change in character and storyline, Canadian actress Ellen Wong had to reinvent herself too and sing for her role in the series. Wong revealed in an interview with Screen Rant that she was stepping out of her comfort zone when she had to sing for her role. She mentioned,
“It started off that way because I wasn’t confident about it, but then, as we started to play the songs and I got into it, I started to sing and do all these things that were outside of my comfort zone, but also [were] about Knives finding herself and finding her voice. It was interesting to go on that journey with her as well, and then it was just really fun.”
Ellen Wong mentioned that discovering it similar to her character Knives Chau was what motivated her to keep going and finally be comfortable with singing. She also mentioned how incredible the growth of her character was from being behind Scott Pilgrim to finally accepting her love for music. She said,
“That was the part that I was the most nervous about; I was like, “I know Knives can do it, but how can I do it?” and “Can I do it?” I just kind of let it go, and I was like, “Knives doesn’t care. She’s just letting it flow, and she’s just letting herself ‘be’ now,” and so I did [too]. It was really special, and the music is incredible in the anime, and it was really cool to be part of that.”
The Edgar Wright film was known for its music which was composed by Nigel Godrich, known for being the producer for bands like Radiohead, Air, Beck, and more. Beck also featured on the album. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, however, had music from Joseph Trapanese and Anamanaguchi, who composed for the video game adaptation of the comic book series.
