Earlier this month, it was reported that Scream 5 is finally in the works at Spyglass Media Group. Bloody Disgusting had the scoop, but We Got This Covered was actually the first outlet to tell you that a new installment in the self-aware slasher franchise was on its way many months ago.
It was the right move to rest the Scream series for a while following the passing of original director Wes Craven, but it seems that now it’s time to unleash Ghostface once again. And though plot details are still scarce, we’ve previously shared the news that the original cast will be back for the next Scream. That still seems to be the case, but we’ve received clarification that though Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox are likely to return in some capacity, Scream 5 will be more of a reboot than a direct sequel.
This doesn’t mean that it’ll completely wipe continuity, but that it’ll set up a new cast of characters for future films. Sidney Prescott, Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers will probably appear in cameos or supporting roles and the comparison our sources – the same ones who first told us about the reboot back in the summer, before Bloody Disgusting confirmed it – used was Ghostbusters 3, which will likewise bring back the old stars but mostly focus on fresh characters.
The last attempt to reignite the franchise came in 2011’s Scream 4. Though warmly received by fans, it didn’t do big enough business at the box office to warrant a sequel, even though it was planned as the first in a new trilogy. Similarly, the film introduced a new gang of teens, with Emma Roberts’ Jill poised as the new Sydney. At least until the final twist revealed that – spoilers! – she was actually Ghostface all along.
The Scream movies were always marked out by their knowing, film-literate nature, so whereas a reboot like this might cause groans from horror fans in most cases, Scream 5 would hopefully have some fun with the tropes of contemporary horror and do something inventive with the formula. Fingers crossed, eh?