The past few years have been great for fans of horror, as the genre has been in the midst of a notable renaissance. And while new, exciting projects have hit theaters to box office and critical success, horror has always been rooted in its long-running franchises. Halloween recently returned to theaters to great success, and now another iconic slasher is following suit: Scream. Because despite Wes Craven's death Scream 5 is still on track, and it's hitting theaters sooner than you might have thought.
Moviegoers were delighted to hear that Scream 5 was finally becoming a reality, with Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are helming the upcoming sequel and original star David Arquette already signed on to reprise his role as Dewey Riley. While no other casting has been announced, it turns out Scream 5 will be released sooner rather than later. Namely, sometime in 2021.
This latest update about Scream 5 comes to us from Variety. It was recently revealed that Spyglass Media Group and Paramount Pictures are teaming up to co-produce the new slasher sequel, which makes the planned movie all the more real. The money is there, so now Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett can move forward in the development process. And according to that same report, the movie is aiming for a 2021 release.
This news is definitely an exciting update, and shows that Scream 5's development will likely hit the ground running now that funding has been secured. This process includes securing the cast, hopefully including the likes of Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox as Sidney and Gale respectively. That trio of actors have survived in all four installments so far, and it just wouldn't be Scream without them.
News that the next Scream movie is expected to hit theater next year means that Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett likely plan on starting production on the slasher sooner rather than later. While not a giant blockbuster like The Avengers, movies like Scream still tend to take months of filming. Action and chase sequences help to complicate this process, as well as continuity needed for blood and wounds.
Aside from the main cast, I'm personally hoping that Hayden Panettiere reprises her role from Scream 4 as Kirby. While Emma Roberts' Jill was reported as the "soul survivor" of her staged massacre, we didn't actually see Kirby die. Panettiere even stoked the flames of those theories by getting the character's signature haircut.
Scream 5 will mark the first movie not directed by late horror visionary Wes Craven. But Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett showed their ability to balance both comedy and horror with their work on Ready or Not. And while Neve Campbell hasn't confirmed her involvement in the upcoming Scream sequel, the filmmaker did impress her with their pitch during early talks.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Scream as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
