Twenty-five years ago, Scream and the chilling character Ghostface debuted in theaters, the start of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Now, on the occasion of the fifth Scream film, this special edition from Entertainment Weekly goes deep inside the new movie while also revisiting the most hair-raising scenes from the first four. Read intimate interviews with franchise stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette; explore the roots of horror delivered by the extraordinary late director Wes Craven; and relive indelible moments through remarkable photographs. Learn how the franchise evolved over time. Plus: the voice of Ghostface.
THE ROOTS OF HORROR • With the 1996 release of Scream, director Wes Craven resurrected (and satirized) the lifeless genre he pioneered in the ’70s and ’80s.
WOODSBORO’S NEW NIGHTMARE • THE SLEEPY CALIFORNIA BURG JUST CAN’T SEEM TO SHAKE ITS BOOGEYMAN. LUCKILY SIDNEY, DEWEY AND GALE ARE BACK TO BATTLE GHOSTFACE IN SCREAM’S LATEST CHAPTER—ALONG WITH A NEW GENERATION OF TEENS, WHO STILL ANSWER WHEN A STRANGER CALLS.
THE LAST SURVIVORS • GHOSTFACE HAS NEVER BEEN A MATCH FOR THESE THREE. ORIGINAL SCREAM STARS NEVE CAMPBELL, DAVID ARQUETTE AND COURTENEY COX REFLECT ON THEIR 25 YEARS WITH THE FRANCHISE AND THE HORRORS YET TO COME.
THE NEW BLOOD • MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOODSBORO TEENS (PLUS ONE FAMILIAR FACE), WHO’LL HAVE TO MAKE IT PAST GHOSTFACE IF THEY WANT TO BE IN THE SEQUEL.
THE UNLUCKY THIRTEEN • WE RANK THE FRANCHISE’S MOST MEMORABLE DEATHS, BASED ON CUNNING, CREATIVITY AND, OF COURSE, THE SHOCK FACTOR. IT’S A SCREAM, BABY!
1 WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SCARY MOVIE? • TERROR COMES TO WOODSBORO, CALIFORNIA, IN THE FORM OF A MASKED MURDERER KNOWN AS GHOSTFACE IN DIRECTOR WES CRAVEN’S 1996 FILM THAT LAUNCHED IT ALL.
FIRST OFF, A FEW RULES • How to successfully survive a horror movie? This meta Scream scene—recalled by Kevin Williamson and the movie’s stars—explains it all.
HOMAGES TO HORROR • Scream is a rich text of winks, nods and references—some obvious and some not so obvious (rock on, Blue Öyster Cult!).
MEMORIES FROM ALL FOUR FILM SETS • The biggest fans of Wes Craven, the soft-spoken and thoughtful director, may very well be the ones who spent days and weeks with him on-set
2 COPYCATS ARE KILLER • RELEASED LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER THE ORIGINAL, WES CRAVEN’S SEQUEL SCREAM 2 DIALED UP THE SCARES, DELIVERING BLOODIER KILLS AND ONE MOTHER OF A TWIST.
A TWISTY BLOODY TRAGEDY • Screenwriter Kevin Williamson knew the conclusion of Scream 2 had to top that of its predecessor, so when an early script was leaked, he went big.
THE MAN WITH THE KILLER VOICE • Hired just to run lines with Drew Barrymore, Jackson so impressed Wes Craven with his Ghostface performance that he became a permanent franchise fixture.
THE BRAINS BEHIND THE BLOOD • To turn Ghostface into a menace onscreen, prop and makeup artists use fake knives, practical effects and phones that actually worked.
3 IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR • AN UNEXPECTED BACKSTORY AND A PREPONDERANCE OF EXPOSITION? MUST BE A TRILOGY! SCREAM 3 BROUGHT THE DEATH OF SIDNEY’S MOM FULL CIRCLE—EXPOSING EVERYONE’S BLOODY SECRETS ALONG THE WAY.
WHEN GALE FORCES COLLIDED • Courteney Cox’s tabloid journalist found her match in the over-the-top onscreen version of herself played by the hilarious Parker Posey.
TAKING A STAB AT PARODY • For Scream 2, screenwriter Kevin Williamson dreamed up a fake film franchise that would play a role in all the sequels to come.
RE-CREATING STU’S HOUSE • Party time!? For the 2022 film, production designer Chad Keith consulted with the original Scream team to perfectly duplicate the location.
4 WITH FAME COMES MISFORTUNE • TIME DOES NOT APPARENTLY HEAL ALL...
