Scream 4. This is happening.
May 28th 2010 00:04
"New decade. New rules." That's the tagline for the fourth installment of the Scream movie franchise, and according to director Wes Craven, is "very much a keynote of the film." Like many of us, Craven and his associates are cynical about the seemingly endless array of sequels that follow successful thrillers these days (think Saw, or Final Destination), and he addresses this annoying phenomenon - jokingly, of course - in the upcoming Scream 4, which is due to begin production at the end of next month.
"It feels like the end of an era of a certain type of film," Craven told EW recently. "There are series of films, a lot of sequels, and a lot of remakes, and part of the humour of Scream 4 is when characters comment on that. 'Enough of Saw 25 and all!'" Craven laughs.
"A lot of films, directors, and studios are the butts of some of the jokes. In order to figure out what’s happening around them, the characters have to figure out where the genre of horror is. So this is a look at horror after 10 years of a lot of sequels rather than original films coming up year after year. One film is successful, and then they make 25 of them. I think it’s time for something new," the director said.
With three of the original main characters returning - Gale, Dewey, and, of course, Sidney - Craven says that Scream 4 is not just another one of these endless follow-ons that he's making a mockery of in the film, but a different beast entirely. "I can’t think of another film that has not only a true trilogy, where you’re following a single central character over three pictures, but has the complexity to the story and other characters that also have continued along," Craven said. "And then 10 years later, to come back to those same characters and same actors, and continue that story in a way that’s totally organic. It’s kind of unprecedented."
According to Craven, these three surviving lead characters will be at the core of the film, rather than on the periphery, though they will (of course) be joined by some fresh young talent. The rumour mill has been running overtime with speculations as to who will be joining the cast, with names like Hayden Panettiere, Ashley Greene, Rory Culkin and Lake Bell being tossed around the Internet ether. One confirmed new face, however, will be Emma Roberts (who is famous for shockers like Wild Child and Hotel For Dogs, as well as being the niece of a certain Julia). Roberts will be taking on the role of Sidney's younger cousin Jill, one of the film's main heroines.
“I’m so excited to be part of this ground-breaking franchise,” said Roberts earlier today. “It’s the perfect opportunity for me to do something completely different than I’ve ever done before.”
While the film's script is being kept under tight wraps, the basic storyline follows Sidney's relatively normal life being turned upside down, once again, by a certain Ghostface killer, after a series of second-rate movie sequels to the already second-rate film Stab (remember the movie-within-a-movie of Scream 2 and its terrible continuation in Scream 3? Yes, that) have been made chronicling Sidney's experiences.
"We have fun with the idea of endless sequels, or “sequelitis” as Kevin [Williamson] calls it in the script," said Craven. "Sid goes through these three horrendous things, and Stab was based on those horrible things. And then they’ve been taken by a studio and run into the ground in a series of sequels. She has been off by herself and living her own life, and she’s even written a book that has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. She’s kind of put her life back together in the course of these 10 years. But, certainly, there would be no Scream without Ghostface, so she has to confront him again, but now as a woman who has really come out the darkness of her past."
As for whether Scream 4 will remain true its roots of blood, gore, and shocking scenes of stabbiness? "I think that’s safe to say," laughed the director. Like with its predecessors, he's aiming for this next installment to be "a very complex murder mystery, a shocking action picture, wonderful humour based on character, and lots of surprises, as well as a movie that kind of copies itself. It’s a pretty amazing script," Craven said.
Scream 4 will be filmed mostly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with production beginning on June 28th this year. The expected US release date is April 15th, 2011.... and I'll be posting the official trailer for the film as soon as it becomes available.
The official poster for Scream 4
"It feels like the end of an era of a certain type of film," Craven told EW recently. "There are series of films, a lot of sequels, and a lot of remakes, and part of the humour of Scream 4 is when characters comment on that. 'Enough of Saw 25 and all!'" Craven laughs.
"A lot of films, directors, and studios are the butts of some of the jokes. In order to figure out what’s happening around them, the characters have to figure out where the genre of horror is. So this is a look at horror after 10 years of a lot of sequels rather than original films coming up year after year. One film is successful, and then they make 25 of them. I think it’s time for something new," the director said.
With three of the original main characters returning - Gale, Dewey, and, of course, Sidney - Craven says that Scream 4 is not just another one of these endless follow-ons that he's making a mockery of in the film, but a different beast entirely. "I can’t think of another film that has not only a true trilogy, where you’re following a single central character over three pictures, but has the complexity to the story and other characters that also have continued along," Craven said. "And then 10 years later, to come back to those same characters and same actors, and continue that story in a way that’s totally organic. It’s kind of unprecedented."
Back for more Scream-time... David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Courteney Cox are all set to star in Scream 4
According to Craven, these three surviving lead characters will be at the core of the film, rather than on the periphery, though they will (of course) be joined by some fresh young talent. The rumour mill has been running overtime with speculations as to who will be joining the cast, with names like Hayden Panettiere, Ashley Greene, Rory Culkin and Lake Bell being tossed around the Internet ether. One confirmed new face, however, will be Emma Roberts (who is famous for shockers like Wild Child and Hotel For Dogs, as well as being the niece of a certain Julia). Roberts will be taking on the role of Sidney's younger cousin Jill, one of the film's main heroines.
“I’m so excited to be part of this ground-breaking franchise,” said Roberts earlier today. “It’s the perfect opportunity for me to do something completely different than I’ve ever done before.”
Rumoured cast members Ashley Greene, Rory Culkin, Lake Bell and Hayden Panettiere
Confirmed: Emma Roberts. 'Emma’s talent, beauty, and range will add immensely to the sophistication, intensity, and fun of the Scream franchise', says Craven.
While the film's script is being kept under tight wraps, the basic storyline follows Sidney's relatively normal life being turned upside down, once again, by a certain Ghostface killer, after a series of second-rate movie sequels to the already second-rate film Stab (remember the movie-within-a-movie of Scream 2 and its terrible continuation in Scream 3? Yes, that) have been made chronicling Sidney's experiences.
"We have fun with the idea of endless sequels, or “sequelitis” as Kevin [Williamson] calls it in the script," said Craven. "Sid goes through these three horrendous things, and Stab was based on those horrible things. And then they’ve been taken by a studio and run into the ground in a series of sequels. She has been off by herself and living her own life, and she’s even written a book that has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. She’s kind of put her life back together in the course of these 10 years. But, certainly, there would be no Scream without Ghostface, so she has to confront him again, but now as a woman who has really come out the darkness of her past."
The (very) dark past of Sidney Prescott.
As for whether Scream 4 will remain true its roots of blood, gore, and shocking scenes of stabbiness? "I think that’s safe to say," laughed the director. Like with its predecessors, he's aiming for this next installment to be "a very complex murder mystery, a shocking action picture, wonderful humour based on character, and lots of surprises, as well as a movie that kind of copies itself. It’s a pretty amazing script," Craven said.
Scream 4 will be filmed mostly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with production beginning on June 28th this year. The expected US release date is April 15th, 2011.... and I'll be posting the official trailer for the film as soon as it becomes available.
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