It’s a good time to be a horror fan, as the genre has been experiencing a thrilling renaissance for years now. Some of the best horror movies returned to theaters as a result, including Wes Craven’s Scream. The last two movies from the property have come from the directors at Radio Silence, but Scream 7 has a new director: Happy Death Day filmmaker Christopher Landon. And it turns out that Landon previously spoke about joining the Scream franchise.
Just like Radio Silence’s Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, it looks like Christopher Landon is also a giant Scream fan. And really, who isn't? The Happy Death Day franchise proved that he knows how to do meta horror, so Scream 7 is a pretty logical choice. Back in 2019 he spoke to ComicBook about the possibility of working on Wes Craven’s iconic property, saying:
I love Scream. Scream is an amazing franchise, especially the first movie, which blew my mind when I saw it back in the day. And I think [writer] Kevin Williamson is so crazy talented and also a friend of mine. I also just think that there are a lot of stories to tell and I think that when you step back into a franchise, you better be doing it for the right reasons and it better be because you have a really good story to tell. And so I think there's sometimes an unnecessary appetite for sequels and reboots. If you've got a cool story to tell, yeah, go for it, man. But otherwise, let's just do something new.
Well, I’m intrigued. It looks like Landon is going to have a very specific vision for the new Scream movie, at least if his previous comments are any indication. Like his predecessors he’s seemingly here to innovate, while also bringing all those iconic Scream elements to life on the big screen. But what exactly does he have planned?
More recently, Christopher Landon posted a message to Scream fans when it was revealed that he’ll be behind the camera for the upcoming seventh film. He seems over the moon to be working on such a beloved piece of horror history, and fans are eager for any information about what Scream 7 might entail. I’m particularly interested in what Scream legacy characters might be brought into the action for the developing slasher.
Later in that same interview with ComicBook, Landon spoke about the similarities in Happy Death Day and Scream. Namely, the use of comedy and poking fun at horror genre tropes. He spoke about balancing this and character-driven stories, in his words:
It totally works. And I love that stuff, too. It's the granddaddy of meta-horror, meta-slashers. But what's interesting about watching how the trends move, I think [last year's] Halloween was so successful as a reboot/sequel because it wasn't attempting to be anything but very genuine. And, it was, in many ways, good fan service, but it was also like, "We have a character-driven story to tell here. And so that, for me, is like, there's a reason to make that movie. That's not just a cash grab.
Of course, the franchise is also good at making cash, with Scream VI breaking box office records for the franchise. This is no doubt why Paramount is keen on developing a new sequel, albeit with different talent behind the camera. Let’s just hope that we see the beloved returning cast like Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter.
The Scream franchise is currently streaming on Paramount+. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
