With Halloween fast approaching, people are beginning to rewatch some of their favorite scary movies for the season. Among the favorites for this time of year are the Scream films. The influence of the first Scream cannot be overstated as it revitalized slasher movies while influencing a new approach to the genre.
While the sequels did not always live up to the original, the franchise is a fun and a fifth on the way, there are a lot of hidden details and behind-the-scenes secrets every fan of the Scream franchise will want to know.
Original Title
The most famous line to come out of this franchise is "What's your favorite scary movie?" This is the question the killer asks his victims on the telephone while taunting them with horror movie trivia.
As it turns out, the original title for the first film was, in fact, Scary Movie. This would have fit in nicely with the franchise's love of meta-commentary. Ironically, years later, this title would be used for the parody film Scary Movie which spoofed slasher movies with Scream being the most prominent target.
The Voice
The iconic voice of the killer in all four Scream films has been provided by actor Roger Jackson. Though he never actually appears onscreen, Jackson was a key part to making Ghostface such an effective threat.
During filming, Jackson would actually be on set to perform in the scenes. When the characters were talking to the killer on the phone, Jackson was really on the other end of the line. However, in order to maintain genuine reactions from actors when they hear the voice, Wes Craven prevented Jackson from meeting the cast.
Real-Life Romance
The only romance from the franchise that wasn't doomed was between Gale Weathers and Deputy Dewey. As it turns out, their falling in love required very little acting on the part of Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who began dating during filming.
The franchise actually had a lasting impact on their relationship. When the two got married following the second film, they had to cut their honeymoon short in order to return home to start filming Scream 3. Unfortunately, they ended up separating before the fourth film.
Quick Turnaround
Despite opening relatively low at the box office when it was released in 1996, word of mouth quickly turned the original film into a huge hit. The sequel was greenlit and began production while the first film was still in theaters.
Given the success of the film, the turnaround for the sequel was incredibly quick, opening a year after its predecessor. In fact, since the first film was released near the end of 1996, both Scream and Scream 2 were among the highest-grossing films of 1997.
CGI Blade
Unlike some other horror movies that came out of the '90s, the Scream franchise never found too much necessity for CGI in its films. The movies maintained a simple approach seen in most classic slasher films.
However, as the times changed and more things could be done with CGI, Wes Craven made one big change. Scream 4 is the first film in the franchise to use CGI blades on the killer's knives. This was to help avoid the difficulties of shooting with a rubber retractable which would often bend.
Intense Secrecy
Screenwriter Kevin Williamson already had a sequel in mind when writing the original and even included a short treatment for the follow-up attached to the script for the first film in case it became a hit.
When it did, the sequel was fast-tracked. Given the mystery angle of the first film, more secrecy was used to cover up the twists this time around. Actors were not given the final pages of the script initially and most only found out who the killer was when filming the finale sequences.
Script Leak
In the early days of internet popularity, Scream 2 became the first high-profile movie to suffer a major internet leak. It was reported that an extra got ahold of the script and published it online for fans to view.
As a result of the leaks, the film went massive rewrites during production. In some cases, scenes were being written the day they were being filmed. It is also rumored that the identities of the original killers were changed as a result of the leaks.
Drew Barrymore's Honest Reaction
Scream's first scene is one of the most iconic opening sequences in any horror film. Part of the reason it is so effective is that a big-name actor like Drew Barrymore playing the role of Casey made her death is extra shocking. Her terrified performance makes it even more effective.
In order to get that reaction from Barrymore, Wes Craven reportedly used a somewhat cruel approach. Knowing that Barrymore is a ionate animal lover, Craven would tell her real stories of animal cruelty in between takes to keep her in an emotional state.
Movie Within A Movie
The franchise further embraced its meta-commentary on horror movies in Scream 2 when it is revealed that a movie inspired by the events of the first film was made. The opening sequence of Scream 2 takes place at a showing of the first film in the franchise called Stab.
The various sequences of the movie within a movie include actors like Heather Graham and Luke Wilson playing roles of the characters from the first Scream. The Stab sequences were actually directed by Robert Rodriguez who was considered to direct the first Scream.
Stu's Planned Return
Probably the most popular of the killers revealed in the franchise has been Stu from the first film. Thanks largely to Matthew Lillard's unhinged performance, he is a fun and memorable villain compared to the less thrilling killers in the sequels.
Due to the character's popularity, Stu was originally planned to make his return in Scream 3. It was meant to be revealed that he survived the first film and would be orchestrating new killings from prison by influencing a new group of teens. However, following the Columbine massacre, the high school setting was thrown out along with Stu's return.
