Recent reports suggest that a Scream 5 might be in development, but making it without Wes Craven around to direct would be a big mistake. The late, great Craven, who passed away in 2015, is a giant in the history of horror cinema. While not every film he directed ended up a classic, when he hit a home run, it was clear out of the park. In 1984, Craven's imaginative slasher A Nightmare on Elm Street reinvigorated the entire sub-genre, and became a phenomenon. Then, in 1996, Craven did it again, with his self-referential slasher Scream breathing life into what was at that point a not so great decade for horror.
Made on a budget of $15 million, Scream was an enormous smash hit, earning $173 million worldwide. Scream's Ghostface killer quickly became a pop culture staple, and three sequels followed, the most recent coming in 2011 with Scream 4. All four Scream films have featured the same core cast, more or less, centering primarily on Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette).
With reports now saying that Spyglass Media Group - who's also known to be developing a reboot of the Hellraiser franchise - is prepping a fifth Scream film, there's no doubt that Craven's long shadow is cast over the project. He wasn't just a director, he was an overall creative force behind the series, and one seemingly everyone involved enjoyed working alongside. Without Craven, making Scream 5 probably isn't a good idea.
The Scream Franchise Is Synonymous With Wes Craven
In the vast majority of horror franchises - or movie franchises of any genre - multiple filmmakers get to try and put their stamp on the property. One obvious example is A Nightmare on Elm Street, which only saw a repeat director happen once over the course of eight films, and that was when Craven himself returned to helm 1994's New Nightmare. Friday the 13th also only ever had one repeat director over the course of eleven films, and the same is true for Halloween, at least the original continuity. Conversely, Wes Craven directed every single Scream film to date, and when the decision was made to create an unrelated Scream TV series for MTV, the showrunner sought Craven's feedback on the pilot script, which he graciously provided. In many ways, Wes Craven IS Scream.
Scream's Cast Might Not Want to Return Without Wes Craven
While it's unknown what form this new Scream movie will take, there's three distinct possibilities that come to mind. A straight-up Scream 5, which brings back the old cast and continues their story, a reboot that ignores Craven's films and reinvents the series, or a loose follow-up set within Craven's Scream universe but focusing on a new mystery with new characters. Actors Campbell, Cox, and Arquette have said before they would be unlikely to return for another Scream without Craven as director, and with Kevin Williamson (scribe of Scream 1, 2, and 4) not set to write the new film either, it seems like one or more of them would probably say thanks but no thanks to being in Scream 5. On the other hand, a Scream reboot will instantly be compared unfavorably to Wes Craven's films, and if the new film recasts old characters, fans will get even more upset. Of course, at the end of the day, if Hollywood wants to make Scream 5, it will, regardless of what anyone thinks.