What’s your favorite scary movie? If the answer happens to be Scream, prepare to be excited. The self-mocking slasher franchise starring Neve Campbell as a woman terrorized by a string of ghost-faced killers is now on its way back to the big screen, with Scream 5 is now in development.
Of course, as is often the case with the announcement of any beloved franchise’s resurrection, horror die-hards have a few questions. For instance, who from the surviving original cast will reprise their roles? What sorts of tropes new to the genre may be tackled this time around? And, perhaps most importantly, who will direct this new Scream movie if not the late Wes Craven? Despite a number of mysterious looming the production of Scream 5, however, we also have plenty of the answers you are looking for. These seven bits of trivia regarding the upcoming sequel nearly a decade in the making will surely make you scream in bloody anticipation.
David Arquette Has Confirmed He Will Star In Scream 5
As fans know, not every actor from the Scream franchise has the luxury returning in future chapters, as many have met a bitter end onscreen, but one of its longest-running survivors (despite a few close calls) is Dewey Riley, who was last seen as the Sheriff of Woodsboro in Scream 4. Well, that will not be last we see of one of the slasher genre’s favorite badges, as actor David Arquette confirmed that he will reprise the role. According to THR, he is “thrilled” to return to the movie series that is important to him and to pay tribute the legacy of its original helmer, Wes Craven.
Neve Campbell Is Reportedly In Talks To Return For Scream 5
David Arquette is the only actor confirmed for Scream 5 so far, but, as most fans would agree, no Scream film is complete without its original final girl, Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell. Fortunately, fans can remain optimistic thanks to reports that the actress has been in negotiations to reprise her most famous role. She recently told Jake Hamilton, a co-host of the ReelBlend podcast, that she is already very impressed with the new directors, who personally reached out to her “with such a great appreciation for Wes’ work and really want to honor it.” That brings us to our next reveal...
The Directors Of Ready Or Not Will Helm Scream 5
Sadly, Scream 5 will be the first in the series not directed by Wes Craven, the mastermind behind A Nightmare on Elm Street and others, as he passed away in 2015 due to brain cancer. However, there is reason to celebrate his successors, Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (collectively referred to as Radio Silence). The filmmakers earned attention from genre fans for their segments in anthologies V/H/S and Southbound, but more recently turned a lot of heads directing their sophomore feature-length effort, 2019’s horror-comedy hit Ready or Not.
Franchise Creator Kevin Williamson Will Not Return To Write Scream 5
Scream 5 is actually the second film in the series not written by its original creator, Kevin Williamson (also the brains behind The Faculty, The Following, and Dawson’s Creek). Instead, the sequel is being penned by Zodiac screenwriter James Vanderbilt and Ready or Not co-writer Guy Busick. That being said, Williamson is serving as executive producer on the production, and is apparently “thrilled to be a part of it,” citing Ready or Not as his favorite horror film of 2019 to The Wrap. He added that the new writers and directors’ vision “is both original, inventive and honors Wes [Craven’s] legacy in a wonderful way.”
Scream 5 Could Start Shooting This Fall
Theaters could be filling with screams again sooner than we thought… well hopefully. At the moment, Spyglass Media Group, which is producing Scream 5, is reportedly aiming to have the film go into principal photography in Wilmington, North Carolina in the fall of 2020. In the wake of COVID-19, though, that stability of that plan remains an uncertainty. Speaking to Wilmington-based Star News Online, EUE/Screen Gems Executive Vice President Bill Vassar said the following:
We have been in discussions with Spyglass about Scream since last fall. It is their intention for the film to come here and it is our intention to make sure we can accommodate them. We are both looking forward to being partners in this project and we… want to see it happen ASAP. But we are still defining the safety procedures for film production, and that’s not just us but the whole industry.
Blumhouse Was Once Rumored To Be Developing Scream 5
While Spyglass Media Group, which debuted with The Sixth Sense, is the current holder of the rights to the Scream franchise (formerly owned by Bob Weinstein’s Dimension Films), when talk of a fifth installment began to catch wind in 2018 many believed that it might be Blumhouse, who recently revitalized the Halloween franchise, that would take the reign. While founder and owner Jason Blum has spoken favorably of the idea to resurrect Scream and other classic horror franchises, he cleared the air in 2019 debunking any reports of the matter as nothing but rumors.
Matthew Lillard And Jamie Kennedy Would Love To Come Back
We'll leave you with one last bit regarding Scream 5 that is not so much a rumor, but an odd idea related to the production. Despite the fates of their respective characters in past movies, Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy have both said that they would be down to appear in the upcoming sequel if asked. Obviously the big thing standing in their way is the fact that their respective characters are very dead (Lillard in the first Scream and Kennedy in 1997's second chapter). Perhaps the sequel could lend credence to the theory that Kennedy’s character, Randy, faked his death and was the real Ghostface mastermind all along?
Be sure to check back here on CinemaBlend (IF YOU DARE) for more updates on the upcoming Scream sequel, as well as other quick facts and questions about the most anticipated movie releases on the upcoming release calendar.
