The Scream franchise has always been one of my favorites. I remember going to see Scream 3 in theatres in 2000 when I was only in fifth grade and thinking, “I can’t believe it’s over!” Luckily, the franchise received a new sequel in 2011 with rumors of a new trilogy in development. Critics were divided and the box office numbers for Scream 4 paled in comparison to all previous entries; yet there was still talk about continuing the second trilogy and creating a television series based on the world of Ghostface. The last update came way back in November of 2013. Earlier this month a few important events happened for Scream fans. So, with that said, let me get you all up to speed!
Let’s start with the movie, Scream 5, which is now becoming somewhat of a myth. Possibilities of a new sequel began in October 2011 when I discovered, while listening to the director’s commentary on the Scream 4 DVD, that Kirby wasn’t dead at the end of the movie. With one character surviving the massacre, if none of the original three cast members returned, Kirby (played by Hayden Panettiere) could continue as the star. Both director Wes Craven and Deputy Dewey David Arquette have expressed interest in the next movie as long as the script is a good one. Harvey Weinstein was even reportedly urging his brother Bob Weinstein to do another Scream in front of a live audience at the Zulrich Film Festival in September 2013.
However, it’s Neve Campbell (Sydney) who is casting doubt on the proposed new movie. Back in January 2013, Ms. Campbell sat down for an interview promoting her Lifetime Original Movie, An Amish Murder. Of course the interviewer at Collider.com asked her about her involvement in a new movie if the franchise were to be continued. Neve remained slightly optimistic and said that “We’ll see,” and “I’d have to chat with them about it.” Currently, though, she has changed her tune. Earlier this month, Neve was interviewed again by The Daily Beast in regards to her involvement in the season premiere of “Mad Men.” Once again she was asked about Scream, and this is what she had to say:
“I don’t think we’ll see it again. I know they’re doing a TV show for MTV that I just read about, but originally they’d talked about Scream 4 being the beginning of another trilogy, but once we made it, it was such a challenge to do a good job with it, give the audience what they wanted, have it be fresh, and have it still retain the elements from the older movies people loved so much. I think we did a good job with it, but I don’t know if you can do it again and again and again. We’d be pushing it. So I think they’re smart with just doing a TV show and leaving it alone.”
And this leads us to “Scream: The MTV Series” which is currently in the pipeline. In June 2012, it was announced that a spin-off series was being produced specifically for a television audience. Wes Craven was rumored to be in talks to play director with “Criminal Minds” writers Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin officially on board to write the pilot script. Since then, there have been some major changes behind the scenes. Beattie and Dworkin are out, and “Eureka” writer Jill Blotevogel now writing the pilot script. The pilot will begin production on June 4, 2014 with hopes of getting a full season order from MTV and a release date of later in the year.
It’s being reported that the first season, should it be picked up, will focus on a YouTube video that goes viral and “serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to Audrey and her town’s troubled past.” Many character break downs have been released for the pilot. So, if you’re wondering what the characters will be like in “Scream: The MTV Series,” then this one’s for you!
1. Harper Duval: A 16-year-old beauty “who’s a little too introverted and intellectual to be a social butterfly” but has nevertheless been anointed by the popular crowd to be one of their own. “She feels guilty that she has drifted away from former best friend Audrey,” but at least she’s got a ‘Gilmore Girls’-esque relationship with mom Maggie to keep her sane.
2. Audrey Jesen: Haper’s former BFF is described as “the bi-curious daughter of a Lutheran pastor” who’s “more arresting-looking than pretty.” This “artsy loner” dreams of being a filmmaker and shares a close bond with tech genius Noah.
3. Noah Foster: Audrey’s closest confidante is “creative, brilliant and tech-savvy enough to be the next Steve Jobs.” Lucky for him, he’s got a great sense of humor (“a la John Cusack in his teen prime”) that helps him navigate the halls of his high school. What’s more, Noah possesses “an encyclopedic knowledge of books, films, TV, apps, etc.”
4. “Maggie” Duval: Harper’s mom, in her early to mid-40s, is the town’s medical examiner, “a grown-up science geek who plays down her beauty.” Maggie spends a lot of her time trying to make up for the fact that Harper’s dad abandoned them. Oh, and she’s harboring “a dark secret from her past.”
5. WILL BELMONT: 18+ to play 16, tall, very attractive, athletic, a good kid. Will’s a high school basketball player who wants to get a basketball scholarship to college. Will loves his girlfriend, Emma (fka Harper)…SERIES REGULAR
6. KIERAN WILCOX: MALE. 18+ to play 16, smoking hot, with intense eyes and smoldering appeal, smart, wry, a bit more mature than his peers, Kieran is the new kid at school who has moved here because his mother and stepdad died in a car accident three weeks ago. He is somewhat reluctantly forced to live with his dad—who is Sheriff Hudson..SERIES REGULAR
7. BROOKE MADDOX: Female, 18+ to play 16, gorgeous, the high gloss queen bee who thinks she’s nice and the world’s just reading her wrong, capable of being bubbly and seemingly-genuine and also capable of being ferociously sexy, Brooke is the leader of the popular girls, but she’s not technically a mean girl. The daughter of a very wealthy family, Brooke’s achievements include ballet, horseback riding and world travel…SERIES REGULAR
8. SHERIFF CLARK HUDSON: MALE. 40s, handsome, smart, compassionate. Sheriff Hudson is a good man and a good sheriff, who doesn’t go with the easy answers. He’s kind and empathetic when he has to deal with a young person who’s been traumatized, but he’s clearly not going to stop till he finds the truth…SERIES REGULAR
9. JAKE FITZGERALD: 18+ to play 16, handsome, athletic, Jake is Will’s well-muscled wing man, who’s also on the basketball team. Jake has a wry humor which can turn crass sometimes; he’s got a crush on Brooke but seems to take her careless rejection of him in stride. Jake likes to play pranks, especially when he’s at a party and drinking too much, but it’s possible that one of Jake’s “pranks” went too far…RECURRING GUEST STAR.
10. RILEY MARRA: Female, 18+ to play 16, a gorgeous “ditz” who may be deeper, smarter and have more eclectic interests than is first apparent, Riley is a member in good standing of the popular group that includes Brooke, Will, Emma and Jake. Unlike the classic popular kids, Riley doesn’t mind going beyond the clique if she finds someone whom she connects with…RECURRING GUEST STAR.
**Character breakdowns provided by Ultimate Model Management and We Got You Covered.
