New Scream Star Says Film Honors Wes Craven and Will Appeal to Fresh Audiences

The upcoming Scream is the fifth entry into the series and has enlisted a number of newcomers for the franchise, with star Melissa Barrera pointing out that, while the sequel will surely honor late director Wes Craven, it will also offer excitement for a new generation. With Craven having directed the first four films, fans are obviously hoping the new film continues the tone he established for the series, but with his passing in 2015, there’s that much more pressure for directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett to honor that legacy while not being beholden to it. The new Scream is slated to hit theaters on January 14, 2022.

“Matt and Tyler bring their freshness to it, but we’re honoring Wes,” Barrera shared with Variety. “I think it’ll make the fans happy, but also bring in a new audience to the movies, which I’m excited about.”

While a number of horror franchises focus on a treacherous villain returning over and over again to terrorize new victims, the Scream franchise depicts new characters sporting the “Ghostface” costume to torment Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. In addition to Campbell returning for the new film, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Marley Shelton are also all returning for the new film.

“I couldn’t believe it; I was being a fan the entire time. Every time they yelled, ‘cut,’ I would say to the directors, ‘Take a picture of us!’” the actor admitted. “Now Courteney is a really close friend of mine. They’re all so incredible and I loved it. I’m so excited for January.”

Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, previously pointed out that one difference with the upcoming sequel is there isn’t as much of a meta approach to the genre.

“I had been really apprehensive about doing one of these films without Wes,” the writer noted during a virtual reunion last year. “The directors actually sent me a letter when the offer was sent and said the reason they are directors is because of Wes. So they’re even so honored to even be asked to make this film, and that they’re such huge fans of him and the films themselves, and of the cast, and that they really wanted to honor his voice, which I really, really believe they did.”

He added, “What I love about the new Scream is that it does take a fresh approach. It’s this beautiful sort of fresh new movie, but it also has this nostalgic factor that runs through it. That to me was a perfect blend of how to do the next Scream. So that was what I was most excited about. I’m blown away by the directors, and I was really nervous because nobody is Wes Craven. I was really hesitant to even jump on board and be a part of it, and boy am I glad I did because I think it’s going to make Wes proud.”

The new Scream hits theaters on January 14, 2022.

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