Does a more flawless horror movie than Scream exist? From the opening scene, Drew Barrymore's teen girl character answered the phone while innocently popping some popcorn. She figured she'd tell someone they had the wrong number and then watch a horror film. Instead, she was murdered and her death was the start of a serial killer in the small town of Woodsboro.
Barrymore doesn't actually enjoy horror movies but she did an amazing job with that role. In the years since, there have been three other movies, and now a fifth movie is coming in 2022 with David Arquette playing Dewey, Courteney Cox playing Gale, and Neve Campbell playing main character Sidney Prescott.
Fans can't wait until they can finally watch this new movie, but until then, let's take a look at the inspiration behind it.
Jordan Peele's Movies
Jordan Peele wanted to make a movie dealing with race and he wrote and directed Get Out. This horror movie is incredibly well-done and Peele took home the 2018 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Jordan Peele inspired the new Scream movie. According to Cinemablend.com, Tyler Gillett, who is the new film's director along with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, said that they enjoy how Peele's second horror movie Us is "honest and organic" but also "fun."
Gillet also explained that Jordan Peele's movies are, "the closest thing to something that we hope to do." He explained that they love the tone because "it's fun, and it's about something, and it's exciting, and it's not just one thing."
It will be great to see what Gillet and Bettinelli-Olpin do with this new entry in the Scream franchise, as they're the people behind the fun horror movie Ready Or Not. The 2019 movie told the story of a newlywed who learned on her wedding night that the family she just married into wanted to play a dark hide and seek game. They were hunting her and she might not be alive in the morning. While that sounds terrifying (and it is), the movie is also campy and strikes a great balance.
The Original 'Scream' Movie
The title of the new movie was also inspired by the original movie. According to Us Weekly, Kevin Williamson shared on his Twitter account in November 2020 that the new movie is called Scream. People had definitely been referring to it as Scream 5 but that's not what the final title ended up being.
Williamson tweeted, "That’s a wrap on Scream, which I’m excited to announce is the official title of the next film! Nearly 25 years ago, when I wrote Scream and Wes Craven brought it to life, I could not have imagined the lasting impact it would have on you, the fans."
Williamson continued, "I’m excited for you to return to Woodsboro and get really scared again," which is music to every fan's ears, as the movies are known for being campy but also scary.
According to the IMDb page for Scream (2022), Sidney will come back to Woodsboro and see that murders are happening again. The description reads, "A new installment of the 'Scream' horror franchise will follow a woman returning to her home town to try to find out who has been committing a series of vicious crimes." It sounds like the central story will be something that fans of the horror franchise are used to, and it'll be interesting to see what new elements are introduced.
Wes Craven's Legacy
Sadly, this movie will happen without Wes Craven, the incredible and famous director known for directing the Scream franchise and also A Nightmare On Elm Street.
How will the new movie honor the horror master's legacy?
This is something that the filmmakers have definitely thought about. In an interview with Collider, Betinelli-Olpin said that Wes Craven was a big inspiration for Ready Or Not. He said, "That's a tone that we've been raised on thanks to Wes Craven and that's a tone we think we can bring into Ready or Not. And then to have that lead to Scream is kind of mind-blowing and sort of a dream come true."
The director also said that there was a special element to Scream where it was an enjoyable "popcorn movie" but it could also surprise audiences at every turn. It's true that at times, the scenes are pretty silly, like the ones involving Dewey, but the rest of the dialogue is intelligent.
According to Editorial.rottentomatoes.com, when Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven were interviewed about Scream 4 back in 2011, they mentioned that Scream 5 and Scream 6 had been in the works. Williamson is producing the new movie and since he wrote Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, that's exciting news.