2022 is bringing a new romp with the slasher Ghostface. Scream is set to hit theaters in January of next year, and the first trailer was met with much praise when it released earlier this month.
However, one of the most significant talking points about the film is simply calling it Scream instead of Scream 5 (or the even better 5cream), following a polarizing trend of titling new entries in long-running franchises with the original’s name. 2018’s Halloween is perhaps the best example of this, but Scream writer and series producer Kevin Williamson notes that this is nothing like the Michael Myers sequel.
This new Scream film is not a remake and is not ignoring the other entries in the franchise; the naming choice comes from the studio and the creative team behind the film. Speaking with US Weekly, Williamson explained how the title came about:
“Well, it was always Scream 5 because it’s the fifth one. So I think we just threw that name out, but I don’t think they ever seriously were going to call it a Scream 5. I don’t think anybody wanted to see the number five after something. You’d have to ask them – Paramount or whoever, but I think taking the 5 off and calling it Scream [works] because it’s brand new,” says Scream producer/writer Kevin Williamson.
He goes on to add, “There’s the legacy cast, and how they infuse this new world, and there’s this whole new generation and a new cast of characters that are extremely fun. I think it was a great cast. It’s an amazing group of kids and young talent, and they’re very, very good. They pop off the screen, and now our Sidneys and our mature characters who enter into it, they’re the adults. It works really, really well.”
Although classic characters from the series are returning and the film is not a reboot, the new title will also allow the franchise to grow with a new generation and not scare off any newcomers with a title that signifies this is the fifth entry in a long-running story. A title like this and a fresh start in the script can see the first Scream without Wes Craven carve its own space in the horror genre.
Scream is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of the filmmaking group Radio Silence (Ready or Not, V/H/S) from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Castle Rock). The cast includes the returning Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, David Arquette as Dewey Riley, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, and Marley Shelton as Deputy Judy Hicks alongside franchise newcomers Jenna Ortega (You, Jane the Virgin), Melissa Barrera (In the Heights), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Dylan Minnette (13 Reasons Why), Mason Gooding (Love, Victor), Mikey Madison (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood), Kyle Gallner (Ghosts of War), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), and newcomer Sonia Ammar.
Scream is set for release on January 14th, 2022.