Nostalgia-driven sequels can often be a double-edged sword, and if they rely too heavily on callbacks to previous movies at the expense of originality, they frequently just end up reminding audiences of how great things used to be instead of adding a fresh perspective to a long-running franchise.
The latest big-name property to find itself resurrected is Scream, with the fifth installment scheduled to arrive in theaters next year, ten years after the hugely disappointing fourth entry and almost a quarter of a century on from the classic post-modern original. Of course, director Wes Craven passed away in 2015, so Ready or Not‘s Matt Bettinelli-Opin and Tyler Gillett are now stepping in as his replacements.
The duo’s previous movie drew plenty of acclaim from critics for managing to put a fresh spin on a tired formula thanks to some subversive plot twists and genuinely thrilling moments, and longtime fans of the series will be hoping that they find similar levels of success when it comes to Scream 5.
Original stars David Arquette and Courtney Cox have already been confirmed to reprise their roles, with Neve Campbell widely expected to complete the trinity, too. And in a recent interview, Arquette admitted that he can’t wait to get back on set and deliver a movie that will live up to expectations.
“I love playing the character Dewey. It’s had such an important role in my life. As an actor, you try to do films that work, that entertain people, that audiences get a kick out of. You seldom do something for a small audience, to talk to a very niche group. The horror fan base is huge so when you really connect with them, and then it even goes beyond that, it’s a really special thing. When the directors approached me, I was in first, and now we’ve got Courteney on board, hopefully Neve will join the team and then we can shoot this thing.”
The first three films all received consistently solid reviews, averaging an impressive 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the fourth could only muster a soft 39% and also fell massively short at the box office, where it earned over $60 million less than any of its predecessors. With a pair of rising stars behind the camera and the old guard in front of it though, Scream 5 definitely has the potential to mark a major return to form for the long-running horror franchise.