scream 4 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

If you were one of the people who thought that another Scream movie was a bad idea (and who could blame you after the train wreck that was Scream 3), there might be a ray of hope...but I have to stress might. Over at Cinema Blend, their 'reliable source' is telling them that the man himself, Wes Craven, will return to direct the latest installment in the horror franchise.

It had been reported that Craven would be involved in some capacity with the film back when the project was first green lit, but you have to wonder what might have convinced him to get behind the camera. Maybe it was all down to nostalgia and he wanted to get together with the old gang, or maybe it was Kevin Williamson's spec script. One thing is for sure, the big empty spot in his schedule since finishing 25/8 probably wouldn't hurt either. (By the way, 25/8 was just re-named My Soul to Take.)

Back in July, there were hints that the film was going to be a complete reboot, but once we found out that Neve Campbell and the Arquette-Coxes would be returning, a straight remake seemed unlikely. So this all sounds like any Scream fan's dream come true, right? You've got the original director, screenwriter, and cast all involved. Well, not so fast, because according to Cinema Blend's sources (and Erik's prediction), the original cast will only be appearing in cameos, and that they will be handing the reigns over to a new group of teens/cannon fodder -- and by handing over the reigns, I mean horribly murdered before the opening credits have rolled.

Do you think there's hope for Scream IV if Craven does direct, and would you be disappointed if the original cast didn't stick around? Sound off in the comments...

Who knows what finally convinced Neve Campbell to return to the Scream franchise, but according to Variety (and Bob Weinstein), she'll join both Courteney Cox and David Arquette in a fourth installment set to begin production in April or May. This fourth installment will be the first in a new trilogy, and The Weinstein Co. is in talks with Wes Craven to helm at least the first film. No word on whether Campbell and the Cox-Arquette duo will stay on past the first flick or be hacked up five minutes in (I'd vote for the latter).

The Weinstein Co. have been battling rumors of money trouble for awhile now, letting go of employees and delaying films due to lack of funds and manpower. Now, though, Bob Weinstein says the company will be returning to some of the franchises that helped produce box office, and in addition to three new Scream films, they're bringing Robert Rodriguez back to write and direct Spy Kids IV in 3D, with production on that set to begin in March of 2010 (so much for Sin City 2 ...). Also on the agenda for Weinstein is a third Halloween movie in 3D, as well as remakes of Hellraiser, Scanners (in 3D), Short Circuit and American Werewolf in London. On whether Weinstein will be able to handle all these films without bankrupting the company or delaying release dates for years on end, Bob notes, " ... there is no question that financing is readily available to produce and market these films."

Guess we'll see about that ...

Oh, good, as long as they have the most important cast members on board, I'm sure a new Scream sequel will become essential viewing. (Not!) Yup, Dewey and Gale, the cop and the reporter. David Arquette claims that he and Courtney Cox are definitely on board for Scream 4, according to Marc Malkin of E! Online.

Arquette is excited for personal reasons: "I fell in love with my wife on Scream, so the opportunity to bring [Dewey] back to life and for my wife to play that really bitchy character again, it's just going to be really fun," he said. Kevin Williamson is writing the script with all his characters, even though Neve Campbell has so far refused the idea of playing Sidney Prescott. Of course, everyone wants Wes Craven to return to the director's chair.

Read the rest at Horror Squad

Thanks to that Internet phenomenon known as Twitter, the Scream world was buzzing over the weekend, clearing up some questions whilst opening up a whole other can of worms.

Last we heard, the Arquettes were in talks to reprise their roles for Scream 4. But they weren't the only ones Kevin Williamson was counting on. June 10: "Come on Sid! Say yes! Please!!!!!! I'm begging!!!!!" But it looks like begging didn't help to schmooze Neve Campbell back to her killer-fighting role. On Friday, Williamson followed up with: "Trying to figure out a Sid-less scenario. She won't do it. This sucks." (The tweet has since been removed, but can be found in the Google cache here.) He now says that he's "moving forward will all my characters regardless...it's the story I wanna tell."

Williamson further clarified his comments to PopWrap, saying "I've had numerous conversations with Neve. She's a friend. Nicest girl on the planet. It just ain't workin' out and it sucks for me." He also admitted that Campbell not doing it kinda hurts his original idea, because her role was a lot bigger than we all may have originally thought. "It was no cameo. I'd never play Sid out that way. And I ain't got no Sid-less scenario. So, I don't know yet what to do." He did, however, clear up one thing. This is definitely not a reboot: "It is a sequel. Scream 4. The first chapter of a new trilogy."

Could this be a chapter where the frights start from moment one and actually carry through to the end? Williamson is scaring himself, but can he still scare us?

I know that Hollywood isn't really a stickler for the words they use, but how can something be a "reboot" if you not only include the same characters, but also the same actors (from a decade before) in those roles? In January, I alerted you all to the fact that the new Scream reboot was still a go, and that Jamie Kennedy might reprise his role. Now it looks like many of the Woodsboro biggies could be coming back.

Entertainment Weekly has posted that Kevin Williamson -- who wrote the first two Screams, stayed away from the third, and is writing the fourth/reboot/whatever -- has asked Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette to return, affirming earlier rumors. If this becomes a reality, and Courteney isn't too busy with Cougar Town, that means that Randy, Dewey, and Gayle are back for more blood.



Just to make things more confusing, IMDb actually has a plot summary stating that this reboot/sequel/I-don't-know will be set 10 years after Scream 3. So I guess Randy made a whole slew of videos and his sister will keep popping up to share with the latest group of serial-killer fighters? How many times can he explain the rules? How many killer relatives can one Sidney Prescott really have?

Scream was already the trilogy that started off beautifully and ended with the worst whimper. If they really want this to succeed, they best give us some real news on the plot to whet our appetites, rather than tap into our "what in the hell are they smoking?" reaction pool.

Lots going on this week -- here are a few stories that fell between the cracks ...

UPDATE: Slashfilm was sent a link to a password protected page on the Legendary Pictures website that lists the title of the Superman Returns sequel to be Superman Unleashed. No word on whether that's old or new or if it will stick, but that looks to be the title they're working with now.

-- The first official ... logo (?) for New Moon (aka Twilight 2) has arrived online via MTV (which I heard now stands for Music, Twilight, Very Bad Reality Shows) and, ya know, it looks like the original Twilight logo except with some extra yellow-orange color. Not sure if I'm crazy about the whole Twilight Saga thing, but I guess they had to find a place for the word 'Twilight' in order to remind people that it's the same franchise. Nevertheless, you can check it out at the top of this post.

-- Looks like Mickey Rourke might not be done with Iron Man 2 after all. The actor told Jeffrey Lyons recently that he's met with the screenwriter and director and there's a chance they'll work out something (the key word there being 'Give me more money you cheap bastards'). Some say Rourke and his people are holding out to see if he wins the Oscar for Best Actor, which would surely give him a bit more leverage in the contract negotiations. So we'll see ...

-- Meanwhile, in the year 2018, it looks like Linda Hamilton is in talks to reprise her role as Sarah Connor for Terminator Salvation. She confirmed earlier rumors, telling MTV that, if the talks go well, she'd be providing a voiceover -- most likely one that will open the movie.

After the jump: Scream 4, Superman and a Coming to America sequel ...

It's been cooking for over a year, and while you might have wished for the project to slip into development hell and never escape, Scream 4 is still on the way. According to HorrorMovies.ca, a community member has shared the latest about the sequel, which is said to reboot the horror movie-loving franchise.

If the source is right, 4 will jump into production early this year, "re-starting" the franchise, but adding in some old characters. It seems that Jamie Kennedy told iFMagazine that he might reprise his role, and that "the rest of the cast would be a mixture of new characters with 'old faces that you wouldn't believe,' and that the film will only go ahead with the involvement of director Wes Craven." As of December 13, writer Michael T. Kennedy was still waiting to hear from the Weinsteins about whether his script was a Go.

I'm not quite sure how you reboot the franchise, include the original characters, yet focus on new ones. Was there another killer out there while Billy and Stu sliced and diced their friends? Is Sidney not the only girl in Woodsboro to attract vengeful murderers? What faces will return? I've always wished for a Scream franchise where Randy and Tatum were the ones who got to live, but I think that ship has sailed.

*Note: The attached photo is a fake.

Q. Why is Cinematical not posting as much as it usually does? What's going on with the site? Did everyone go on vacation at the same time? Will things return to normal anytime soon? Can you tell us anything?

A. "We're still operating, we're undergoing an editorial readjustment, things will be back to normal on August 1st."

Here's a round up of news for today:

• The Wolverine Comic Con trailer has leaked online, and you can watch it in two parts -- one here, one here. I missed this footage when it premiered, and have to say that I love what I see. Hopefully Fox will put it online soon.
• Speaking of trailers, Oliver Stone's W now has a teaser thingy online over at Moviefone. And, honestly, it doesn't look too bad. Definitely teases; definitely has me interested. You?
• Shia LaBeouf took one step closer to becoming a "normal" celebrity after he crashed his car and was arrested for suspicion of DUI early Sunday morning.
  
• Wes Craven admits to talking to Bob Weinstein about doing another Scream movie. Fans everywhere scream, "F*ck no, dude! Leave it alone!"
• A collection of 20 Heath Ledger as the Joker t-shirts and where you can buy them.
• Following a $75 million take this past weekend, The Dark Knight has now grossed $355 million worldwide. Also of note: Step Brothers took home $30 million and The X-Files: I Want to Believe managed $10.2 million.
  
• Ridley Scott's revisionist Robin Hood tale, Nottingham, has been delayed indefinitely. The Hollywood Reporter cites "script concerns, location logistics and the current labor unrest all played a role in the decision." Production was supposed to begin next month, and will now most likely be pushed back to next year.
• Vampires are hot these days, and Family Guy writer David A. Goodman has just been brought on to adapt Blatant Comics' Last Blood, about "the human survivors of a zombie massacre who find themselves protected by a band of vampires who need their blood to survive." Nice.
  

More coming later ...

It seemed like one of those not-to-be-believed rumors when Erik wrote about it last October. At least, that's what I hoped, but no. It's true. We're getting Scream 4.

Yesterday, The Weinstein Company sent out a press release about how it's signed a 7-year pay-television deal with Showtime, to begin with the company's 2009 slate (that includes flicks like Inglorious Bastards and Dimension flicks like Youth in Revolt). (Read it in its entirety after the jump.) Nestled towards the end, the press release says the deal includes "the remake of David Cronenberg's Scanners, re-starting the Scream franchise with Scream 4, and Piranha 3D."

The first was amazing. The second was okay. The third absolutely sucked. And now we're getting a fourth. At least they're restarting things, because really, I don't know how many relatives can come out of the woodwork to wreak havoc on Sidney Prescott. But how much of a restart will this sequel be, and what could they possibly teach us about scary movies this time around? That the bad guy never completely dies?

That's it! Beware folks, Randy Meeks could come back from the dead and still be the real mastermind!

The Scream franchise is one that's always pissed me off. The first film was dynamite -- a real gem -- but then the second two were bought at Costco and dressed up to slightly resemble the first film, only it wasn't hard to spot the faults. In a minute I'll tell you exactly how I think the franchise should've ended, but first off the news: According to this really weird blog called, quite simply, The Weinstein Company, the boys have officially greenlit Scream 4. It appears as if this is some sort of company blog promoting all things Weinstein, but I still have to warn you to take this with a grain of salt, even if it does come with quotes.

Anyway, here's the so-called official announcement: "The Scream franchise has become a cult classic. Together, all three movies have grossed over $300 million at the box office, just in the United States alone. The fans have been asking for a 4th Scream movie for years and we're finally giving it to them. As far as details go, we're only in the planning stages and we may not get around to it [Scream 4] for quite some time, but rest assured, it will happen." A second quote says there isn't even a script yet, and I very much doubt this will be a pre-strike priority flick, so it's greenlit but we won't see it actually hit theaters for awhile. I know the Weinsteins have been trying to pull a fourth flick together for years, but both Wes Craven and Neve Campbell were never interested. Personally, I don't see why Campbell wouldn't do it -- I mean, what else is she doing (oh wait, she starred in three episodes of Medium ... nevermind). So we'll see.

My friend and I always get all worked up when it comes to the Scream series. Shortly after the third film came out, we talked for hours and practically re-wrote (through our conversation) the entire ending. In our minds, we think Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) should've been the mastermind behind all the killings throughout all three films. This is something that should've been planned in advance (and he survived the first film, so they had time to do it), and it would've been an outcome that made so much more sense. He's the horror geek. He wanted to plan the perfect trilogy. He's the one who should've orchestrated everything -- not some long-lost brother (WTF was up with that plot twist???). Anyway, who knows where they'll go with a fourth film (God bless the screenwriter in charge of trying to come up with a workable story), but I've seen crazier films hit the multiplex.

[via JoBlo]