Unlike horror movie characters who say "I'll be right back," the Scream franchise actually will be back this January, and the first trailer for the slasher sequel is here.
Paramount Pictures on Tuesday dropped the trailer for Scream, the fifth installment in the iconic horror series. The footage begins with a scene reminiscent of the original's famous opening, with the Ghostface killer intimidating his victim through text after she won't pick up her landline. From there, a new string of murders leads Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, David Arquette's Dewey Riley, and Courteney Cox's Gale Weathers to return to the fray alongside new characters played by stars including In the Heights' Melissa Barrera and The Boys' Jack Quaid. The trailer also teases a surprising link to prior films, with Barrera's character revealing that "the attacks were all on people related to the original killers."
Despite what the title might suggest, then, Scream is actually a sequel rather than a remake, and it's the franchise's first film since 2011's Scream 4. Beginning with the 1996 movie, the horror series takes a meta approach to the slasher genre, skewering its tropes and always ending with the reveal of a different murderer who has taken on the Ghostface identity.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2022's Scream will also be the first film in the franchise not directed by Wes Craven. Craven died in 2015, and the new movie is helmed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directing duo behind 2019's Ready or Not. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Campbell said the idea of coming back to Scream without Craven "seemed challenging" but that Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett won her over with their "great respect" for the legendary director. Cox also told EW that Craven "would be so happy" with their approach, while Arquette said he felt Craven's "energy" on set.
Scream is set to hit theaters on Jan. 14. Check out the first trailer below.
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A human pyramid, a church on wheels, and more
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
