The song that begat 'Baby Driver,' a quasi-musical on wheels

NEW YORK (AP) — In the jagged grooves and quivering violins of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song "Bellbottoms," a young Edgar Wright heard a movie.

When Wright first started fanatically listening to the lead track off the band's "Orange" album in 1995, the British writer-director had a vision that has culminated, more than two decades later, with his new film, "Baby Driver."

Baby Driver, it turned out, was the movie, but it took years for Wright (Shaun of the Dead, ''Hot Fuzz) to find the story that matched his initial inspiration.

Eventually he hit on his protagonist: an uncommonly young, fresh-faced getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) who obsessively syncs his life and his car chases to the music of his iPod.

The movie wouldn't just tie together song and cinema; it would be about the fusion of music and action.

Wright had to secure his soundtrack's rights before shooting; many of the songs, like the Blues Explosion one, were cleared years ago.

Actors received their scripts with a thumb drive of music attached.

Mike Mills, the "20th Century Women" director, designed some of their cover art and directed a music video.

Shortly before production was to begin, he and the studio parted ways over creative differences, a painful end to a big-budget passion project of Wright's.

"Maybe the day after I left the other movie, literally one of the first emails I got from (production company) Working Title just said 'Baby Driver next?'" recalled Wright.