The new SCREAM sequel (which may simply be titled SCREAM, just like the 2018 HALLOWEEN sequel was just called HALLOWEEN) is now filming in Wilmington, North Carolina, and one cast member who's very hyped about the project is Jenna Ortega.
Ortega is on a bit of a genre project roll, having recently worked on the second season of the Netflix stalker series You, THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN, and the pandemic thriller SONGBIRD, in addition to lending her voice to a character who gets menaced by dinosaurs in the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Ortega confirmed that working on genre projects is something that she finds fun, and said that being cast in the new SCREAM was
crazy! It's weird too, because when I first started I always said I've always wanted to do horror, so this is a huge dream come true. I don't even think there are words in the English language to correctly express how happy and excited and nervous I am for this journey. It's so amazing to me."
When the interviewer asked for details on Ortega's character, she couldn't give away any specifics because
everything is super top secret, so even on set interacting with other people it's very peculiar because you'll start talking about something and then you cut yourself off because, 'Wait, do you have the same information that I have?' What I will say is, having seen all the previous films I am very, very pleased with how the script has been written and everything that's to come."
She also couldn't comment on the persistent rumor that Selena Gomez is going to appear in the film, possibly as the opening kill. As a cast member, Ortega said she's out of the loop on that sort of thing.
When asked if the script features callbacks to previous films and if it fits into the existing franchise or is going to be something different, Ortega assured the interviewer (and fans) that
It fits perfectly. And then also, how incredible that we have the main cast coming back! That is insane to me, especially because – I mean, how many years has it been? It's been nine, almost ten years since SCREAM 4, which is insane to me. I feel like throughout the years the franchise has done really well at calling back and bringing some sort of nostalgic aspects to the script and I'll definitely say that there are some here."
As Ortega said there, franchise stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox are all back for the new film, as is SCREAM 4 cast member Marley Shelton. They're joined in the cast by Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Kyle Gallner, and Sonia Ammar.
READY OR NOT directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (you can watch READY OR NOT at THIS LINK) are at the helm of this film, working from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. Vanderbilt is also producing the film for Project X Entertainment, alongside Paul Neinstein and William Sherak. Chad Villella and Kevin Williamson serve as executive producers.
Paramount and Spyglass are planning to get the new SCREAM into theatres on January 14, 2022.