It’s been 25 years since Wes Craven’s meta slasher film Scream hit theaters, instantly becoming a modern horror classic. Now, the gang returns to Woodsboro to confront a new Ghostface killer, who seems to be just as comfortable with landlines as they are with home security apps.
The trailer begins with the Scream franchise’s hallmark: a young woman (You‘s Jenna Ortega) home alone being threatened on the phone, before Ghostface makes their entrance.
We then see the surviving three members of the gang: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) as they reunite to fight the new threat. Marley Shelton’s Deputy Judy Hicks, who we met in Scream 4, also returns.
In the best moment of the trailer, Arquette asks Campbell if she’s got a gun, to which she replies, “I’m Sidney Prescott, of course I have a gun.”
The synopsis for the film (which is confusingly titled Scream but I will only be calling Scream 5) reads, “Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.”
In addition to the OG cast, new cast members include Melissa Barrera (In the Heights), Kyle Gallner (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Mason Gooding (Love, Victor), Mikey Madison (Better Things), Dylan Minnette (13 Reasons Why), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Spider-Man: Miles Morales), and singer/model Sonia Ammar.
We last saw the franchise in 2011’s Scream 4 (or SCRE4M if you will), which was Wes Craven’s final film before his passing in 2015. This will be the first Scream without Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson (who is on board as executive producer) at the helm. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (V/H/S, Ready or Not) directed the film, with a script from James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man, Zodiac) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Castle Rock).
Campbell herself wasn’t sure if she would return to her iconic role after the death of Wes Craven, but the directors won her over. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Campbell said, “I genuinely was in two minds … The idea of making these films without Wes Craven seemed challenging to me. I loved the man very much. But Matt and Tyler wrote me a letter, speaking of their appreciation and great respect for Wes Craven, and speaking of the fact that the very reason that they are directors today was because of these movies and because of Wes, and that meant a great deal to me.”
Scream 5 was set to premiere this year, but was delayed due to the pandemic. Instead, it comes out on January 14, 2022. A January release doesn’t bode well, as studios often use that month to dump their bad movies, but with the pandemic of it all, those rules may no longer apply.
Regardless, Campbell’s Sidney Prescott remains THE final girl of the ’90s (and my personal favorite ever) so I’m ridiculously excited to see her return to the role. And let’s not forget Courtney Cox and David Arquette! The dream (or nightmare) of the ’90s is alive!
What do you think of the Scream 5 trailer? Are you excited to see the film in January?
(image: screamcap)
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