The horror genre was built on long-running franchises like Halloween and Friday the 13th. But in the 1990's slashers got a new surge in popularity thanks to Wes Craven's Scream franchise. The genre bending horror movies made a ton of money, and Scream 5 is currently in development. Drew Barrymore famously played the ill-fated Casey Becker in the iconic opening sequence, but she was originally offered the role of Sidney (Neve Campbell). And Barrymore recently explained why she went this surprising career choice, in favor of being killed off.
Scream was a huge success when it debuted in theaters in 1996, and the franchise has gone on to make over $600 million across the first four films. While Drew Barrymore could have been at the heart of it as Sidney, she and horror legend Wes Craven shocked audiences by killing her character Casey off in the first 12 minutes. Barrymore explained her thoughts on this choice at the time, saying:
In the horror film genre, my biggest pet peeve was that I always knew the main character was going to be slugging through at the end, but was going to creak by and make it. What I wanted to do is to take that comfort zone away. So I asked if I could be Casey Becker so we would establish this rule does not apply in this film.
Jamie Kennedy's Randy spent the majority of his time in Scream talking about the rule of horror, with Wes Craven's original movie shattering any expectations of moviegoers back in 1996. And that's exactly what Drew Barrymore was going for when filming her terrifying appearance as Casey Becker. Audiences expected to see Barrymore playing the protagonist, before flipping the script and killing off one of its biggest stars.
Drew Barrymore's comments come from her recent appearance on the popular series Hot Ones. While chowing down on hot wings, Barrymore spoke about her long career in TV and film. Scream is definitely one of her most iconic appearances, in no small part due to the fact that she was killed off immediately. Barrymore was front and center in the movie's posters ahead of its release, so it was an especially effective plot twist.
You can check out Drew Barrymore's appearance on Hot Ones below.
Playing Casey also freed up the role of Sidney for Neve Campbell, who lead the cast throughout four different movies. It's hard to imagine anyone but Campbell as the final girl, as the actress has given so many layered and dynamic performances. She's currently in talks to return for Scream 5, although nothing has been officially announced thus far.
Scream 5 will mark the first installment in the franchise since the death of the legendary Wes Craven. Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are the minds behind the upcoming sequel, with Neve Campbell already praising their vision. While she hasn't officially signed on, the cast is coming together. Luckily that includes the return of Courteney Cox and David Arquette as Gale and Dewey respectively.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Scream 5 as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
