Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a casual observer, the series has a fascinating and storied history. Either way, there are probably at least a few pieces of lore that have ed you by in the years since the first film hit theaters. Here are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Scream.

15. It was originally called Scary Movie

When screenwriter Kevin Williamson first got the inspiration to pen a slasher film, he didn’t have to think hard about what it should be called. Since his idea centered around a group of teenagers who spend as much time discussing horror movies as they do living (and dying) through them, Scary Movie seemed like the perfect title. In fact, when Dimension Pictures bought the script and started production, that was still Scream’s working title.

It wasn’t until just before filming had wrapped that the Weinsteins decided they wanted to go with something that reflected the elements of satire and comedy within the film. Strangely enough, they settled on Scream because they liked the Michael Jackson song of the same name. Dimension decided to hang onto the original title for a few years – it is a pretty good title – and gave it to the Wayans Brothers when they created their own satirical series in 2000. In a piece of especially perfect irony, one of the main movies that Scary Movie parodied was, of course, Scream.

14. The first film was based on a true story

With a creepy murderer, a high body count, and plenty of blood and guts, Scream is definitely scary enough all on its own. It’s even creepier, though, when you consider that the first film in the franchise was partially inspired by a true story. Kevin Williamson incorporated some aspects of a real-life killing spree as he was writing his screenplay. Although the connections between the two stories are loose at best, the details of the Gainesville Ripper are pretty chilling all on their own.

The 1990 case involved the murder of five college students, a case of mistaken identity, and a high profile investigation and trial. Ultimately, a 36-year-old drifter named Danny Rolling confessed to the murders and was sentenced to death. Williamson incorporated elements of the Gainesville case into his original screenplay – for example, the false imprisonment of Cotton Weary for Sidney’s mothers death was inspired by the police’s initial arrest of a schizophrenic young Gainesville student. Regardless of how closely Scream followed the horrific events in Florida, it’s always extra spooky when you find out that art is imitating life.

13. The franchise could have had very different stars

Sidney Prescott and Billy Loomis are, in many ways, the perfect horror movie couple. He’s charming but has an insidious side that makes us constantly question his motives. She’s got a dark past and a secret strength that makes her an ideal scream queen. In hindsight, it’s hard to imagine anyone but Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich bringing these characters to life (and, uh, death) – but their chance at horror movie stardom almost didn’t happen. A whole host of other actors were considered for the leading roles in Scream, including Brittany Murphy and Justin Whalin.

At one point, Reese Witherspoon was offered the role of Sidney, though she turned it down to star in the also-spookily named Fear. Joaquin Phoenix, likewise, turned down the chance to play Billy Loomis. Obviously, both of their careers turned out okay in the end, and they did star together in Walk The Line, a movie that had 100% more duets and 100% less murder.

12. Drew Barrymore was originally cast in a different role

Everyone who’s seen Scream re Drew Barrymore’s harrowing performance as Casey Becker, the ill-fated first victim of Ghostface. Her pitch perfect performance, which turns from amusement, to annoyance, and finally abject terror, made the opening sequence of the film completely unforgettable. By casting Barrymore in this role, Scream’s creators set up a Psycho-style fake out for those of us who expected the child star to be one of the film’s main characters. That wasn’t the original plan, though.

In fact, she was originally cast as the bright, resourceful and haunted protagonist, Sidney Prescott. Scheduling conflicts prevented Barrymore from taking on the leading role, so Neve Campbell took her place, but Scream’s creative team was able to keep her on board. Ultimately, her performance as Casey was vital to the film’s success. She drew us in instantly, and her shocking death quickly showed us that Scream wasn’t going to be like other scary movies we’d seen.

11. Wes Craven didn't want to direct Scream

When people talk about Wes Craven being a Master of Horror, they almost always mention his name in the same breath as the Scream franchise. After all, aside from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, which he created but was largely absent from in later years, it’s his most successful film. That’s why it’s so difficult to fathom a reality in which the Scream juggernaut was led by anyone else – but that really almost happened.

The veteran director was Bob Weinstein’s first choice for Scream, because he’d done such a good job in the past mixing horror and comedy. Craven, on the other hand, was busy working on other projects at the time, and not entirely sure he wanted to keep doing horror at all. Dimension looked into hiring others, including up-and-coming directors like Danny Boyle and Robert Rodriguez, and horror legends like Sam Raimi and George Romero. Eventually, though, when Craven heard that Drew Barrymore had signed on to star in the film, he reconsidered the offer, thinking that a project like Scream could very well set itself apart from other horror films. Spoiler alert: he was right, and not just because of his awesome cameo as a Freddy Krueger-esque janitor.

10. Rose McGowan had to change her look to play Tatum

As Tatum Riley, Sidney’s best friend and most ardent defender, Rose McGowan set the bar pretty high for horror movie sidekicks. Sure, her time in Scream was brief, but her best moments, from punching Gale to getting in Ghostface’s, uh, face, are some of the series’ most enjoyable. Plus, her death-by-garage-door is arguably the most unforgettable and iconic of the entire franchise.

While she’s easily recognizable by her penchant for neon clothing and her platinum blonde hair, at one point, Tatum was going to have a very different look altogether. Rose McGowan’s natural hair color is brown, and when she was cast in Scream, there weren’t any plans for her to change it. After Neve Campbell stepped into the role of Sidney, however, the film’s producers began to worry that the two women would look too similar since they both had dark hair. Some reports have indicated that McGowan was forced to dye her hair blonde to keep the role, but the actress recently said it was her idea. Even though she hated the look, she its it fit her character perfectly.

9. Ghostface was actually on the phone during filming

From the very opening moments of Scream, which begins with the sound of a telephone ringing, Ghostface establishes himself as a wholly modern killer. He plays with his victims by engaging them in witty banter about scary movies, only to turn on them in an instant, catching them entirely off guard. These sequences are the backbone of what makes Scream work as a thriller, and that’s largely thanks to the performances of all the actors involved.

While we all know Billy and Stu were the two young men wearing the cloak and mask, an actor named Roger L. Jackson was the man behind his sinister voice. To make sure that that Drew Barrymore and Neve Campbell were able to really tap into the fear that they needed to give convincing performances, Wes Craven took an unorthodox approach to filming these crucial scenes.

First of all, he didn’t let the actresses meet their tormentor, which kept up an illusion of mystery. Then, instead of having Jackson record his lines and playing them back when they shot the scenes, the actor was actually on set, interacting with them in real time through the phone.

8. The producers hated the Ghostface mask

The ghoulish Cab Calloway-Michael Myers’ and Jason Voorhees’ in of sheer spookiness. The film’s crew discovered one like it while scouting for locations, and had the costume department create something similar, since they didn’t own the rights. But before they could formalize it as the killer’s official disguise, Craven and co. had one major hurdle left to overcome.

Bob Weinstein reportedly watched some raw footage from the early days of Scream’s shoot and complained that the mask wasn’t scary at all, but rather “goofy.” Some producers wanted to halt production, but Weinstein asked that they continue on filming, with one caveat. He wanted to see footage with several different mask options, so he could see which one he liked best. Ultimately, the legendary producer conceded that the Ghostface mask was, in fact, suitable. Now, the mask is the stuff of legend – and countless Halloween costumes.

7. Scream wasn’t a hit at first

These days, the Scream franchise is known around the world as one of the most successful horror movie series of all time. With four films and a spin-off TV show, it’s definitely made its mark on the pop culture landscape, and forever changed how we think about scary movies. When it first hit theaters in 1996, however, it wasn’t exactly an unqualified success.

Dimension released it just a week before Christmas, and it was up against Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! and the blockbuster Jerry Maguire. With mixed reviews from critics and a perfect storm of poor timing and less-than-stellar promotion, Scream made just $6 million in its opening weekend. However, it had one very important thing going for it: the people who did see it liked it a lot – and they told their friends. Strong word of mouth helped propel Scream from a potential box office disaster to a sleeper hit. In the end, Scream stayed in theaters for eight months and grossed over $170 million worldwide.

6. Caller ID use increased after Scream

The mid-‘90s were a simpler time, one full of landline telephones and the quiet despair of having to answer the phone without any idea who could be on the line. That prospect was more than just a nuisance for some, but a perceived threat. After all, the person on the other end of the phone could be a telemarketer, or worse – a deranged killer wanting to quiz you on your horror movie knowledge.

When Scream hit it big, it wasn’t just a commercial success. There were other hints that it had seeped into our everyday lives, too. For one, there was a surprising increase in the sale of caller identification devices. Sales reports from the time indicated that use of the now mostly obsolete technology more than tripled in the months after Scream was released. In other words, Scream did to the telephone what Birds did to, uh, a large flock of birds: it made us want to stay as far away as possible.