The newest featurette for the next installment of the Scream franchise contains appearances from franchise alum Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, and takes fans back to where it all began: Woodsboro, California.
Campbell, Cox, and Arquette have starred in the four previous installments of the Scream franchise under the direction of Wes Craven. The upcoming Scream film will be the first without Craven as director following his passing in 2015. Scream has already begun to receive positive accolades, particularly from its returning cast.
Scream's newest featurette starts at the very beginning, where Drew Barrymore was notoriously slain in the film's opening minutes. "The first Scream will always be looked up to and looked back at," Cox said. The first Scream set the longstanding stories of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), Dewey Riley (Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Cox) into motion. Since then, these characters have become such a focal piece of any Scream film, that doing one without them is seemingly impossible. "We can't do this new Scream justice if all three don't come back," director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin said. Fortunately, the stories of all three are highlighted in the featurette and will continue in the upcoming film.
The first Scream was released back in 1996 and has continued to serve as a staple of the current horror genre. 1996's Scream currently holds the best standing with audience members, maintaining a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Amongst critics, Scream 2 is the highest-rated with an 81% on the Tomatometer. In the featurette, Cambell states that the cast always knew they were a part of something special. "We knew we were a part of something that felt like it was on fire," Campbell said.
Throughout the featurette, the three Scream veterans take turns gushing over one another's characters. "I'm really excited for audiences to see these characters that they've loved and to see how they've progressed," Arquette said. He particularly mentioned Campbell's return as Sidney, where he boasts about the fierceness of her character. Campbell returned the favor by highlighting the significance of Arquette's character. "We see a lot of Dewey in this film," Campbell said. "It's really nice to see his journey." The veterans will be joined by a series of Scream newcomers who look to add to the franchise's legacy.
With four film installments and a few television adaptations already under its belt, the revival of the Scream franchise had some fans worried. Being the first film without Craven, franchise director, Scream has something to prove to its doubters. Featuring the return of notable stars like Campbell, Arquette, and Cox, their high praises and willingness to involve themselves in the project is huge. "This film feels like the first Scream," Campbell said. If Campbell's words guarantee anything, it is that the Scream franchise is back and in strong hands for the future.
Scream releases in theaters on January 14, 2022.
Source: Paramount Pictures