While the late 1980s and 1990s were a bit of a lull for the horror genre, one film often gets the credit for reviving that. Wes Craven’s 1996 self-aware slasher masterpiece,Scream. It’s a teen scream slasher done in the best way, and is still a favorite for many.
Screamspawned three sequels for a total of four films, as well asan MTV television showthat had three seasons. Overall, while the response to the television series was mixed, the entire franchise is seen as very well done. The series has a good amount of typical slasher kills and tropes, but it’s often praised for the way it leans into humor and satire. It’s a parody of slashers, while still being an enjoyable slasher, and it’s thought of as the franchise that brought the horror genre back to quality.
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When news broke that a fifthScreamfilm, simply titledScreamwas to come out, there was a lot of buzz. People were very excited, especially when almost the entire original cast was billed to return. However, there’s also been some hesitancy. A fifth film does seem a little excessive, especially when the first four were so well received. This is also the first in the franchise not to be directed by Wes Craven. Then, some details about the film and its release came out that was met with some negative reaction. Now,Screamfans are just plain scaredof what’s to come.
The most obvious criticism is of course, “Does there really need to be a fifth one?” While the franchise as a whole has been really solid, the television series wasn’t loved in quite the same way. It’s well known that if a film franchise has too many movies, orif a TV serieshas too many seasons, it can ruin what was once well respected. While people are excited to see their favorite characters again, they’re weary of this film ruining a franchise they love.
It’s also hard to see thiscome to fruition without Wes Craven,who sadly passed away in 2015. Craven directed all four previousfilms, with the fourth one being his last movie before his death. While this could be a really nice way to honor the director and continue a legacy he started, missing his touch means they risk the film not having a bit of the magic that makes the rest of the franchise great.
Original writer Kevin Williamson is on the team as a producer, which is good. Radio Silence, the team behind horror- comedyReady or Not,is slated to direct. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who also worked onReady or Not, are set to write which also may be a good sign.Ready or Notis also a filmthat plays with some horror tropes and has some really slick and satirical writing, so the same team working on aScreamfilm could be a good match. Because Kevin Williamson isn’t writing and Wes Craven isn’t directing though, people are very skeptical.
Fear for what this film would look like was further pushed when star Courtney Cox was quoted in an interview saying that this wasn’t a reboot or sequel, but a new franchise entirely. Otherhorror series likeHalloweenandCandymanhave come back after many years with new films that are either unrelated “spiritual sequels” or erasing the rest of the franchise entirely. Fans are very worried about that happening withScreambecause the majority enjoy the universe that they’ve created already.
Lastly, people got really worried when therelease date forScreamwas announced. It’s coming out July 06, 2025. Unfortunately, January is what’s known as a “dump month” in the film industry. This means that it tends to be a month where studios “dump” their films that they know either won’t perform or aren’t very good. While there may not be a confirmed reason for this, it’s generally thought that it may be because people often are trying to save money at the beginning of the year following the holidays. While some iconic films, likeSplitandBefore Sunrisehave had January releases and gone on to be popular, it often really isn’t a good sign.
Screamwill likely still be at least very financially successful because people love the franchise so much, but fans are worried about what they’re getting into. Making a fifth film in an overall really well-done series is a risk, and one would hope that the filmmakers know this and are handling this with care. The writers and directors seem like a good match, butWes Craven will surely be missedand if they try to change things up too much, people won’t like it. No one can know for sure until the film is released, and no trailer has even come out yet, so only time will tell. For now,Screamfanatics can’t ignore the bad signs.
