New Scream Movie to Be Released by Paramount in 2021

A new report from Variety confirms that the upcoming Scream film, which will likely be a sequel to the original four films, will be co-produced by Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment and is shooting for a release in 2021. There are limited details about the project, with Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett developing the project and with original star David Arquette confirmed to be returning as Dewey Riley. The original film came from director Wes Craven from a script by Kevin Williamson, with Craven going on to direct all sequels in the series, which also all starred Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox.

The slasher subgenre dominated the horror world in the '80s, as franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street earned a number of installments, only for that format to stagnate in the early '90s. When Scream debuted, it found a way to reimagine the traditional premise of a slasher to make for a compelling experience, while also serving as a self-referential critique of the subgenre's tropes. Given the debut film's success, it inspired a resurgence of teen-aged slashers, such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend.

Craven's last film in the series, 2011's Scream 4, seemingly concluded the franchise, with MTV then reimagining the concept for a TV series. The series last two seasons before it was reimagined once again for a six-episode event in 2019.

With Craven's passing in 2015, many fans had assumed there would never be another film, given the effectiveness of those films and how much they are a credit to his talents. Campbell, however, confirmed that the new filmmakers aim to honor the late filmmaker's spirit.

"I got this really, really respectful letter from the directors of the new one," Campbell shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "They came to me with Scream 5, and these directors are incredibly talented. They wrote a letter honoring Wes in such a beautiful way, and they expressed that the reason they make horror movies is because of Wes and the Scream films. They also expressed how blown away they are at the idea of actually getting an opportunity to make one of them and how much they want to honor and respect Wes' vision. It was just beautiful, and I was really grateful."

She continued, "I had really thought that the only way I'd step into a new project with new directors is if they really wanted to honor him. So, we'll see. We're just in the beginning phases of negotiations, and we'll have to see where it goes with COVID and everything. There are a lot of things up in the air such as when we'll actually get to make the movie and how we can even reenter this business at the moment."

While Campbell may have been in talks to return, it has yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned for details on the new Scream before it hits theaters in 2021.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!