Behind the Screams

After years of waiting and wondering, Scream 4 is set to hit theaters on April 15.  (I, for one, have every intention of seeing it on opening weekend, despite being in exams.)  In honor of Ghostface’s return to the big screen, the new issue of Entertainment Weekly features a cover story on the making of the film!  

In a candid interview with screenwriter Kevin Williamson, the pop culture mag gets to the bottom of the rumors that behind-the-scenes conflict forced Williamson to abandon the project early in production, leading to his replacement by Scream 3 screenwriter Ehren Kruger.  According to Williamson, while he did butt heads with Dimension Films co-chairman Bob Weinstein, he’s “very supportive of the film,” though he has yet to see the final product.  The Vampire Diaries creator goes on to explain that his commitment to the supernatural drama was the reason he had to bow out of Scream 4 prematurely, but that he “did [his] darndest to try and make a really good movie.”  He also hints at the possibility of a Scream 5.

Frankly, I’m relieved to hear to hear that Scream 4 will have Williamson’s signature on it, at least in some shape or form.  While I loved Scream 3, I was really looking forward to seeing what Williamson would bring to the table.  Like I mentioned last month, the original Scream still stands as one of my favorite horror films, and Williamson played a huge part in that film’s success.  The opening scene in which Drew Barrymore’s character is tormented over the phone and then murdered is one of the scariest movie moments ever, and also has some of the best writing I’ve ever seen.