Word has come down the wire that David Arquette is set to reprise his role as Sheriff Dewey Riley for Spyglass Media Group's feature-related relaunch of SCREAM. As a four-time victim of the Ghostface killer, Riley has managed to survive every film in the SCREAM franchise. Here's hoping that his luck doesn't run out when a new chapter in the series is unleashed.
“I am thrilled to be playing Dewey again and to reunite with my ‘Scream’ family, old and new," said Arquette. "‘Scream’ has been such a big part of my life, and for both the fans and myself, I look forward to honoring Wes Craven’s legacy.”
According to Spyglass, the studio is in talks with other legacy castmembers for the fifth feature installment of SCREAM. Production is poised to begin later this year in Wilmington, North Carolina once safety protocols allow for on-site filming to begin. For the moment, plot details about the relaunch are being kept under wraps, though it has been confirmed that the story will be based off an original idea co-written by James Vanderbilt (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and Guy Busick (READY OR NOT, CASTLE ROCK) with Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak producing for Spyglass. In keeping with the old school, SCREAM franchise mastermind Kevin Williamson will act as the project's Executive Producer. Meanwhile, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence will direct, with Chad Villella – also from Radio Silence – also set to executive produce alongside WIlliamson.
“It’s impossible to fully express how much Wes Craven’s work and the ‘Scream’ movies in particular mean to us as fans and have influenced us as storytellers. Kevin Williamson’s incredible stories have entertained and inspired us for decades and we’re insanely honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the cinematic world Wes and Kevin so brilliantly created together. Jamie and Guy’s amazing script does that legacy justice and we’re so excited to bring the next chapter of ‘Scream’ to life,” Team Radio Silence said with regard to managing the latest feature in the legendary horror film franchise.
“Just the fact that we get to sit in a room with Kevin Williamson and talk about a new ‘Scream’ movie is a dream come true for me. For years I’ve wanted to see a new Scream movie, and now we get to help make one. We want this to be a love letter to the movies Wes and Kevin created together and to the fans,” said Vanderbilt.
Along with collecting more than $600 million in worldwide receipts across all four films in the franchise, SCREAM gave horror fanatics a new antagonist to add to the Horror Hall of Fame with Ghostface. Standing alongside villains the likes of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface, the stab-happy Ghostface killer could be anyone, even your closest friend. It's for that reason and so many more that generations have been terrified of the character, and now it looks as if Ghostface's reign of terror will continue as the franchise gets re-introduced for another gathering of cinephiles.