The horror genre has been flourishing for years, as a variety of new and exciting projects hit theaters. But horror was built on franchises, and some beloved properties have returned as a result of the genre's renaissance. The latest of these projects is the new Scream movie, which recently wrapped production. The movie marks the first installment since the death of Wes Craven, with Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett behind the camera. And the latter filmmaker recently explained how Jordan Peele's work influenced Scream 5.
Horror legend Wes Craven created properties like Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street, so there are some very big shoes to fill for Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. But their work on Ready or Not showed the filmmakers' ability to balance comedy and horror, and their love for Craven's work convinced Neve Campbell to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott. Gillett recently explained how Jordan's acclaimed work in the genre has also factored in, saying:
We've talked about Jordan Peele's body of work a lot, because what he's doing is the closest thing to something that we hope to do, and that we love in terms of, tonally, where it's fun, and it's about something, and it's exciting, and it's not just one thing. We talked about the visual style of Us a lot when we were talking about this, because it captured something very honest and organic while also feeling like a big, fun movie, and to be able to do those two things simultaneously and have an indie vibe that's also a big, fun, popcorn movie... That's what, to us, Wes Craven mastered with Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, where he's able to walk that line, and that's the newest thing in that lineage for us.
Well, this is intriguing. It looks like the directors of the fifth Scream movie are being influenced by beloved horror movies new and old. And when it comes to Jordan Peele's Oscar winning work in the genre with movies like Get Out and Us, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin is hoping to find a way to reflect on real-life issues with the upcoming slasher.
Tyler Gillett's comments to ComicBook offer a brief glimpse behind the curtain on the upcoming Scream movie. The project recently wrapped principal photography, with Gillett and his collaborator Matt Bettinelli-Olpin assembling a killer cast to bring the mysterious project to life. The story is being kept under wraps, but it looks like the filmmakers are going with the same meta and self-referential style as the previous four installments-- while also being influenced by the modern hits.
Jordan Peele's pair of horror flicks have both been critical and box office successes, especially Get Out. As Tyler Gillett mentions, Us had a specific visual style, which was able to entrance audiences and allow the movie to be a hit in 2019. The fifth Scream movie will hopefully have that same appeal, and be a fun movie experience for both hardcore fans and horror newbies.
The new Scream movie will feature the trio of original heroes in Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette while also featuring the return of Scream 4's Marley Shelton. The directors rounded out the cast with a slew of familiar faces including The Boys' Jack Quaid, 13 Reasons Why star Dylan Minnette, Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), and Jenna Ortega (You).
Scream is currently expected to hit theaters January 14th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
