Wes Craven. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original in addition to Scream 2 and Scream 4, shared the news of the title change seeing as he's an executive producer on the fifth film. The title news is turning heads, but not for a positive reason. Instead, it's following a mistake commonly committed by legacy horror sequels.
Craven was originally signed on to direct a new Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley, respectively, the rest of the cast will feature names like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, and Mason Gooding.
Scream 5 will presumably focus on Sidney returning to her hometown of Woodsboro as more murders by a new horror reboots.
Why Horror Sequels Keep Reusing Titles
Scream isn't the first long-running horror franchise to reuse its original title. First, there was Halloween, on the other hand, went with the 1978 title despite serving as the movie's direct sequel. While the franchise featuring Michael Myers is known for some long-winded sequel titles, the studio didn't attempt to set itself apart from the film that launched it all. Scream is following suit, featuring a blended story while sticking to the prime continuity. Since the most recent Halloween installment and Scream movie are considered legacy sequels, the title decisions are even more baffling at first glance.
The title is most likely a tribute to Craven's influence in building the franchise, particularly with his work directing Scream in 1996. With him gone, this could be the cast and crew's way to honor the driving force behind Scream's long-term existence. It may also symbolize a full-circle arc for the likes of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey if the new Scream serves as the trio's final franchise appearance. With all that said, it's still a tad confusing for fans, who will most likely continue to call it Scream 5 as a way to differentiate the movie from the original when discussing the franchise.
