Anya Taylor-Joy Wasn't Originally Cast as Sandie in 'Last Night in Soho'

Anya Taylor-Joy portrays Sandie in Last Night in Soho, an aspiring singer in the 1960s whose life is turned upside down when she meets Jack (Matt Smith), but this wasn't the role she was originally meant to play.

The psychological thriller, directed by Edgar Wright, is told from the point of view of fashion student Eloise (played by Thomasin McKenzie) and follows her as she goes back in time through mysterious visions of Sandie, and learns of the dark fate that befell her.

Speaking to Newsweek and other publications at the BFI London Film Festival, Wright explained that Taylor-Joy was originally set to take on the role of Eloise, not Sandie.

Of making her switch roles, he said: "With Anya, we originally talked about her playing Eloise and then, I guess in the three years between me talking to her about it and actually having a screenplay, she had really grown on screen.

"And I felt that, seeing her in other roles, that maybe she'd be good in the 60s part. And, luckily, she absolutely 100 per cent agreed."

The Shaun of the Dead filmmaker also praised Taylor-Joy and McKenzie as "two of the best up-and-coming actresses at the moment."

Another star who appeared in the film was the late Diana Rigg whose role in the film as Ms Collins, Eloise's landlady, is her final appearance onscreen following her death in September 2020.

Reflecting on working with her, Wright said: "I mean, I can be sad that she's gone or I can be happy that I got to work with her at all. So, I choose the latter."

He also went on to speak of the film's homage to the '60s, claiming he wanted to make it a "cultural tribute" to the era.

"It's not so much the films but more the decade itself," he said. "It's the films of that period but it's also the music, it's the fashion. It's really a cultural tribute."

Actor Michael Ajao, who plays Eloise's modern-day love interest John, also spoke with Newsweek about the film.

Ajao plays one of the few male characters to treat women well in Last Night in Soho, and he said it was a "massive honor" to be given such a part.

"It's a pleasure but also being able to be that character... sometimes in life difference scares people, people who are different scare people, so to be that person who goes 'hang on, you're not crazy, let me listen to you' is a big deal."

Referring to John's understanding of Eloise and her visions of Sandie, he added: "I feel like Edgar hits the nail on the head, there's one line in the script where [John] says 'my auntie believes in all kinds of weird stuff.'

"That comes from a heritage of being spiritual... So to be a character like that is just a massive honor and I feel such a pleasure to be a part of this movie."

Last Night in Soho is released in theaters on October 29.