Melissa Barrera, a new ‘Scream’ actor, has remarked that the next movie will remember the late filmmaker Wes Craven while also introducing the brand to a new generation of moviegoers, thanks to its blend of new and old cast members.
The fifth instalment in the Scream franchise, excluding the TV programme, is planned to enter theatres in January 2022, and it will be the first without the input of creator Wes Craven, who died six years ago this August.
Wes Craven directed the first four films in the franchise, thus new directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett must not only maintain the tone and quality of Craven’s work, but also contribute something new and original. While Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Marley Shelton are all poised to reprise their roles alongside a slew of newcomers, one of whom will be donning a familiar mask, they appear to be well prepared for the challenge of pleasing an established fan base while also attracting newcomers.
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One thing the Scream franchise did differently from the serial killer films it almost parodied, such as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, was to have the same masked killer but always a different person behind the mask, allowing for the same kind of recurring villain without the need for increasingly implausible ways of bringing them back from the dead. Craven was also not hesitant to poke fun at the genre in which he established his name, and it was Scream’s early popularity that owed to his witty style.
Kevin Williamson, who also authored Scream, stated in a recent virtual reunion that one key difference in the new sequel is that there isn’t much of a meta-approach to the horror genre. There was apprehension about making the movie without Craven but they cast and crew feel like they have paid him an homage like no other.
When Scream 5 hits theatres on January 14 2022, it will have a lot to live up to.
