Scream Filmmakers Reveal Only Two Cast Members Have Read the Whole Script

With each entry into the Scream franchise, a killer stalks our heroes and we are led down a twisted path, leading towards the surprising reveal of the killer’s identity. There was so much attention brought to the franchise after the debut installment that subsequent films saw filmmakers crafting multiple scripts and sometimes shooting multiple endings, just to ensure that the cast couldn’t accidentally reveal who was really the killer. The minds behind the new Scream have confirmed that they have embraced this concept, claiming that only two people from the cast had been allowed to read the correct script in its entirety.

“One of the fun things we’ve been able to do, when we sat down with [original writer] Kevin Williamson when this all started and we got his support and brought him back into the fold to get that part done, one of the nuggets of information he gave us from back in the day was that they were able to put a bunch of different drafts out there to keep fans guessing by the time the second one came around, even some cast members, and we adopted that same thing,” producer William Sherak shared during the film’s Virtual Production Press Day. “So there are multiple drafts out there in the public that have been leaked, and nobody really knows. And we’ve even managed to keep the cast guessing as well. They’re not really quite sure either because of the multiple drafts. So we’re going to keep it that way.”

Co-director Tyler Gillett admitted, “Two members of the cast actually have read the entire script.”

“It’s a pretty small group that know which draft is the real draft,” Sherak confirmed.

The popularity of the original Scream in 1996 caused a sequel to head into production quite quickly, with Scream 2 landing in theaters the following year. At the time, there wasn’t as much concern over leaked scripts as the internet wasn’t as highly trafficked back then as it was today, but with the popularity of the world wide web on the rise, those looser restrictions regarding potential leaks could have allowed more information to start landing online.

The excitement surrounding the upcoming film and the spread of information means it’s quite risky that the identity of the killer, or killers, could easily be shared on the internet, with these precautionary measures hopefully keeping their identity a secret until audiences everywhere can see the film.

Scream lands in theaters on January 14, 2022.

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!