| Scream 4 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by: | Wes Craven |
| Produced by: | Wes Craven Iya Labunka Kevin Williamson |
| Written by: | Kevin Williamson |
| Staring: | David Arquette Neve Campbell Courteney Cox Emma Roberts Hayden Panettiere |
| Music by: | Marco Beltrami |
| Cinematography: | Peter Beming |
| Editing by: | Peter McNulty |
| Studio: | Corvus Corax Productions Outerbanks Entertainment |
| Distributed by: | Dimension Films |
| Release date: | April 15, 2011 |
| Running time: | 111 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $40 million |
| Box office: | $101,314,194 |
Scream 4 (stylized as SCRE4M) is a 2011 American slasher film and the forth installment of the Scream series. The film was directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the writer of Scream and Scream 2. The film stars an ensemble cast which includes Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, and Hayden Panettiere. The plot involves around Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodboro after ten years as part of her book tour. As soon as she arrives, Ghostface once again begins killing students from Woodsboro High, including her younger cousin's friends. Prescott, Gale Weathers-Riley, and Dewey Riley once again team up to stop the murders, but not before having to learn from a new generation the "new rules" of surviving horror films.
Originally, the series was intended to be a trilogy, but film production was approved by Bob Weinstein. Depending on the box office, Scream 4 is intended to be the first of a new trilogy. Williamson had to leave production early due to contractual obligations and Ehren Kruger (Scream 3) was brought in for re-writes. Campbell, Arquette and Cox are the only returning cast members from the previous films and were the first to sign on to the film in September 2009. Panettiere and Rory Culkin were the first of the new cast to sign on in May 2010. Ashley Greene was initially the choice of the lead character, Jill, but the role eventually went to Roberts. Filming took place in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan in June 2010 to September 2010, with re-shoots in early 2011.
Scream 4 was released on April 15, 2011, and took in $19.3 million its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, making it the second-lowest opening since the first film. The film has grossed more than $101.3 million at the worldwide box office, despite a mixed to positive response from critics.
Plot[]
Jenny Randall being stalked by Ghostface over the phone.
On the night of the fifteenth anniversary of the Woodsboro Massacre, high school students Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper are attacked and brutally murdered in their home by a new Ghostface.
The following day, Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro to promote her new book with her publicist Rebecca Walters. After evidence is found in Sidney's rental car, Sidney becomes a suspect in the murders and must stay in town until the murders are solved. Her cousin, Jill, who is dealing with the betrayal of her ex-boyfriend, Trevor Sheldon, gets a threatening phone call from Ghostface, as does her friend Olivia Morris. Jill and Olivia, alongside their friend Kirby Reed, are questioned about their calls by Dewey Riley, who is now the sheriff of the town, with assistance from Judy Hicks. Meanwhile Gale Weathers-Riley, now married to Dewey, is struggling with writer's block. She decides that the new Ghostface murders could revamp her career and begins delving into the case despite Dewey's protests.
Sidney stays with Jill and her aunt Kate Roberts while in Woodsboro. Later that night, Olivia, who lives next door, is attacked and killed by Ghostface as Jill and Kirby watch in horror through Jill's bedroom window. Sidney and Jill rush to the house, but the killer attacks and injures them and gets away; both are taken to the hospital. Later that night in the hospital's parking garage, Ghostface murders Rebecca. Gale then enlists the help of two high school movie geeks, Charlie Walker and Robbie Mercer, who explain that the killer is following the rules of movie remakes to plan the murders. Charlie concludes that the killer will likely strike at a party being held that night. Gale goes to the party to investigate and is attacked by Ghostface before Dewey arrives; he takes her to the hospital. Meanwhile, two police officers assigned to patrol Jill's house discover a window to be empty. Both are then subsequently murdered and taken from the house's property. Kate, meanwhile, arrives home as Sidney receives a phone call threatening to murder Jill, causing the two to attempt to save her as Jill does not answer her phone. Ghostface is revealed to be outside of the house and stabs Kate in the back through the front door's mail slot, killing her. Sidney then runs into a suspicious Judy whilst escaping from the house and heads to Kirby's house to save Jill.
Ghostface appears at the party and kills a drunken Robbie soon before Sidney arrives at the house. During a confrontation with Ghostface, Sidney instructs Jill to hide under a bed upstairs, while she narrowly escapes Ghostface. Kirby is forced to answer horror movie trivia to save Charlie, who is tied up outside. After she answers Ghostface's questions, she goes outside to untie Charlie, believing that she has won the game. He suddenly stabs her in the stomach and reveals himself as the Ghostface killer, leaving her for dead. Sidney is confronted by Charlie and a second Ghostface, who is revealed as Jill. It was Charlie and Jill, who killed Marnie Cooper, Jenny Randall, Olivia Morris, Rebecca Walters, Deputy Hoss and Perkins, Kate Roberts, Robbie Mercer, Trevor Sheldon and Kirby Reed. Jill tells Sidney about her jealousy of Sidney's fame after the murder of Sidney's mother and how Sidney has survived the attempts on her life. She then pulls Trevor, her ex-boyfriend, out of a closet and shoots him in the groin for his previous betrayal of their relationship, then in the head, killing him. Jill then betrays and kills Charlie by stabbing him, intending to pin him as Trevor's accomplice. Jill then stabs Sidney in the stomach leaving her for dead. She then trashes the house and mutilates herself in order to stage the scene. Dewey, Judy, and the rest of the police then stumble upon the carnage.
Jill is then taken to the hospital to be treated. Dewey visits Jill, who believes Sidney died, but is told that both she and Sidney will survive. Jill is disturbed by the fact she failed to kill her cousin and specifically asks Dewey about Gale's injuries which alerts Dewey to the fact that Jill is the killer. She soon makes her way to Sidney's room to finish her off when Gale, Dewey and Judy intervene; Jill is distracted by them which gives Sidney the chance to shock her with a defibrillator and then shoot her, killing her. Dewey calls in all police units, as media reporters outside confirm Jill as a survivor and a "hero, right out of the movies."
Cast[]
- Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
- Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts
- Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers-Riley
- David Arquette as Dewey Riley
- Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
- Anthony Anderson as Anthony Perkins
- Adam Brody as Ross Hoss
- Rory Culkin as Charlie Walker
- Mary McDonnell as Kate Roberts
- Marley Shelton as Judy Hicks
- Alison Brie as Rebecca Walters
- Marielle Jaffe as Olivia Morris
- Nico Tortorella as Trevor Sheldon
- Erik Knudsen as Robbie Mercer
- Aimee Teegarden as Jenny Randall
- Brittany Robertson as Marnie Cooper
- Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface
Cameos[]
- Anna Paquin as Rachel
- Kristen Bell as Chloe
- Lucy Hale as Sherrie
- Shenae Grimes as Trudie
- Nancy O'Dell as TV Host
- Wes Craven as Man at Out of Darkness booksale
- Matthew Lillard as Guy at Stab-a-Thon
Production[]
Development[]
Scream 4 was announced by The Weinstein Company in July 2008, with Wes Craven saying that he would not mind directing the film if the script was as good as Scream. In March 2010 it was confirmed that he would indeed direct and stated that, "I am delighted to accept Bob Weinstein's offer to take the reins on a whole new chapter in Scream history. Working with Courteney, David and Neve was a blast ten years ago and I'm sure it will be again. And I can't wait to find the talent that will bring new blood to the screen as well. Kevin is right on his game with the new script – the characters and story crackle with energy and originality – to say nothing of some of the most hair-raising scares I've seen in a script since... well, since the original Scream series. Let me at it".
In May 2010, Cathy Konrad, who produced the first three films in the series, filed a $3 million lawsuit against The Weinstein Company, alleging that they violated a written agreement that entitled her company, Cat Entertainment, first rights to produce all films in the series. The Weinsteins argued that this contract required Konrad's services be exclusive to the franchise, which Konrad calls "false pretext". claiming the previous film did not require this condition. The suit accuses the Weinsteins of surreptitious behavior and "a scheme to force Plaintiffs to walk away from the Scream franchise without compensation," enabling them to cut costs by hiring someone else to produce (Craven's wife, Iya Labunka, not named in the suit). In April 2011, it was reported that the Weinsteins had settled out of court with Konrad, the details remaining confidential, though it was claimed that she would receive a cash payment plus a percentage of the profits from Scream 4.