Why The Original Scream Writer Is ‘Thrilled’ About Scream 5

Ghostface in Scream 4

The horror genre has been in a renaissance for the past few years, and now some of the classic franchises are being brought back to theaters. It was recently announced that Scream 5 is in the works, with Ready or Not writers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helming the project and some members of the original cast already set to reprise their roles. And now original Scream writer Kevin Williamson has explained why he's so excited about the upcoming fifth movie.

Fans have been hoping that Scream would return to theaters with a fifth movie, although Wes Craven's death in 2015 seemed to dash any dreams of that becoming a reality. But Scream 5 is making some major steps forward, breaking the internet in the process. Kevin Williamson wrote the original Scream and most of their sequels, so he knows the property well. Williamson will be an executive producer on Scream 5, and expressed his excitement about the upcoming sequel, saying:

I’m excited to reteam with David and work with Jamie, Guy and Radio Silence on the next Scream. Their take on the movie is both original, inventive and honors Wes’ legacy in a wonderful way. Ready or Not was my favorite horror film of last year and I can’t wait to see what their amazing talents bring to the Scream universe. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

Well, this is certainly a hopeful message. It looks like Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's vision for Scream 5 has impressed people. Because despite the very big shoes they have to fill in order to write for the next slasher in the beloved franchise, OG players like Kevin Williamson have given the upcoming project his support.

Kevin Williamson's statement (via The Wrap) may help to relieve the concerns of certain Scream fans out there. Moviegoers are eager to catch up with Sidney Prescott and her friends in another murderous romp through Woodsboro, although it was unclear exactly how that could happen after Wes Craven's passing. But Williamson and Neve Campbell have both praised Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's work on Scream 5, so it looks like they understand the franchise's specific tone.

Exactly what Scream 5 might contain is a total mystery, as the movie's cast and crew are still being assembled by the folks at Spyglass Media Group. It was previously reported that Neve Campbell was in talks to play Sidney Prescott, but David Arquette was the first official cast member to be announced. Arquette's Dewey is one of the trio of main characters to appear in every movie so far, and he'll hopefully be joined by Campbell and Courteney Cox.

I'm eager to see where the trio of protagonists landed after surviving the events of Scream 4. Did Sidney go back into hiding, or has she continued to reclaim her power? Additionally, I'm not convinced that Hayden Panettiere's Kirby died in the fourth movie.

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.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.