When Wes Craven’s Scream was released wide in theaters on December 20, 1996, small opening weekend numbers pointed to a slasher movie audiences weren’t interested in, especially not at Christmas. Then a rare thing happened; its numbers only got more substantial with each passing week. Twenty-five years and a full-blown franchise later, it’s hard to imagine Scream as an underdog. The sleeper hit inspired a new wave of teen slashers, and its fanbase is now larger than ever as a fifth installment rapidly approaches. No one could’ve predicted Scream would remain one of the most enduring and beloved slashers of all time, not even the cast and crew, but it’s not difficult to see in hindsight what makes Craven’s movie so special.
The production comprised mainly of unknowns and teen television stars, Scream marked Kevin Williamson’s first screenwriting credit. Drew Barrymore offered up the most significant slice of star power, originally anchoring the project as lead final girl Sidney Prescott. Her involvement prompted Craven to reconsider joining, as he’d previously turned the project down to develop The Haunting remake. Then scheduling conflicts arose, causing Barrymore to pull back from her leading role. She convinced Craven to let her play Casey Becker instead.
Without a Sidney, production offered the role to Molly Ringwald, Alicia Witt, and Reese Witherspoon, all who’d turned it down before Craven suggested “Party of Five” breakout Neve Campbell. Then came Courteney Cox, a sitcom star known for playing nice girl roles. Cox fought for the part and the chance to prove she could play mean, and Gale Weathers was born.
Williamson based the script on the real-life Gainesville Ripper murders in 1990, inspired by watching the story on a news broadcast and feeling spooked. Williamson’s blend of horror and comedy, with a unique deconstruction of the slasher formula – long after the craze had died down – presented an easy sell for producers. Finding the Woodsboro High School setting was trickier. The violent nature of the story and concern meant the Santa Rosa High School board denied permission to film there, earning a special “No Thanks” in the credits from Craven.
Production challenges aside, Craven and his cast were free from preconceived expectations. No one expected a juggernaut horror movie on their hands, and it made for a much more relaxed set free from pressures. Well, perhaps until it came time to film the final 40-minutes of the movie, a marathon shoot that took 21-consecutive nights to complete.
The cast, their chemistry, Williamson’s script, and Craven’s complete understanding of its tone culminated in a sleeper hit that never stopped amassing an audience. The whodunnit aspect of the plot brings the suspense, the kills hurt, the jokes stick their landing every time, and the commentary on the slasher subgenre brings unexpected layers. Horror-comedies rarely ever tip the scale in favor of horror, and Craven demonstrated that it could be done with effortless style.
The surprise success of Scream inspired a quick turnaround on a sequel, leading to two more. The original 1996 film still holds the top spot as the highest grossing, inspiring a new slasher craze in earnest. And of course, Ghostface entered the area as a new horror icon.
From that unforgettable, shocking opening demise, Scream held audiences in its grip and never let go. It has grown into an enduring franchise that gets introspective on its place in the horror canon and reflective of the current social climate, the film shaking up the tropes and archetypes in unconventional ways. Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey (David Arquette) are as intertwined and essential to the series as Ghostface, a rarity in a subgenre that prefers disposable characters for a higher body count. The dialogue remains endlessly quotable, and despite the dated technology, the narrative still holds a timeless quality.
Scream’s popularity is even more considerable today than it was twenty-five years ago, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In a slasher whodunnit that lays out the ground rules of survival, Scream broke them all.
