Longtime writer Kevin Williamson is returning to the director’s chair for the next Scream installment, Scream 7, 25 years after his first and only shot at directing bombed. Kevin Williamson rejoining the Scream franchise is the perfect opportunity for him to direct, as horror is his expertise. Williamson is best known for his work in the horror and teen drama genres, particularly the Scream movies Returning to the franchise that changed the horror genre and helped launch his Hollywood career for Scream 7‘s story could earn him redemption as a director.
Kevin Williamson gained recognition in the entertainment industry as a screenwriter after penning Scream’s first installment. He received praise for his writing, which included fun and relatable characters and memorable lines, iconic to horror today. After Scream’s amazing success, the sequel, Scream 2, followed, making Williamson a hot commodity in Hollywood. He quickly followed that with two more teen horror movies, I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty, before trying his hand at directing in 1999. Unfortunately, it did not go well.
Scream 7 Can Redeem Kevin Williamson After He Last Directed A Movie 25 Years Ago
Teaching Mrs. Tingle Failed Critically & Commercially
After Williamson’s success with writing horror, there were high hopes that his turn at directing it would also be successful. However, his directorial debut, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, which he also wrote, was not well received, earning negative reviews from audiences and critics. The dark comedy-horror starred Katie Holmes as an overachieving high school student determined to become the class valedictorian, even if she has to murder the teacher (Helen Mirren) trying to thwart her. At the time, it was criticized for what some read as a meanspirited tone and unlikable characters, without the wit for which Williamson had become known.
However, returning to the director’s chair for the next Scream sequel offers opportunities for him to contribute creative ideas, since Scream 7 will return its focus to Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott after the last few movies focused on the Carpenter sisters. With his background in the Scream movies directed by the legendary Wes Craven, Williamson can craft his own original vision for the new sequel that still appeals to fans of the original. It’s the best possible opportunity for him to try his hand at directing again and a full-circle moment that returns him to the franchise that launched his career.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle
made $8.9 million by the end of its theatrical run on a budget of $13 million, officially confirming it as a flop.
Returning To Horror Allows Kevin Williamson To Do What He’s Best At
It’s His Comfort Zone & Where He Excels
Williamson returning to Scream is a good step, but returning to the horror genre in general is great for familiarity. Williamson’s work in the genre as a screenwriter is vast: the entire Scream franchise, including Scream: The TV Series, and numerous other horror movie and TV show scripts, including co-creating The Vampire Diaries. He is also an experienced producer in the genre, with the Scream franchise, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Cursed, Venom (2005), and thriller TV shows under his belt.
Related
Courteney Cox Clarifies Her Scream 7 Return Status, Shares Excitement For Kevin Williamson’s Return
After reports of being in talks to return as Gale Weathers in Scream 7, Courteney Cox now clarifies her current involvement in the upcoming slasher.
Returning to the franchise he knows best allows Williamson to do what he’s best at: horror. With two and a half decades passing between his disastrous directorial debut and now, it’s given him 25 years to gain more experience and better understand the ropes of the industry. With that gained experience, and his comfort and familiarity with the Scream franchise, Scream 7 sets Williamson up for the best chance at directorial redemption, showing he can indeed be a successful triple threat in Hollywood.
Scream
Created by Kevin Williamson and originally helmed by Wes Craven, the Scream franchise takes a meta approach to the slasher horror franchise, centering on teenagers well-versed in the genre who find themselves hunted and killed by figures donning the Ghostface mask. The first four movies revolved around Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott as she frequently found herself the target of different Ghostface killers, while the fifth and sixth installments introduced new protagonists, sisters Tara and Sam, with their own dark past connected to the original Ghostface killer.
- Cast
- Neve Campbell , David Arquette , Courteney Cox , Skeet Ulrich , Jamie Kennedy , Liev Schreiber , Heather Matarazzo , Hayden Panettiere , Marley Shelton , Melissa Barrera , Jenna Ortega , Jack Quaid , Mason Gooding , Jasmin Savoy Brown , Roger Jackson
- TV Show(s)
- Scream (2015)
- Character(s)
- Sidney Prescott , Gale Weathers , Dewey Riley , Billy Lomis , Randy Meeks , Cotton Weary , Neil Prescott , Hank Loomis , Casey Becker , Martha Meeks , Kirby Reed , Judy Hicks , Sam Carpenter , Tara Carpenter , Chad Meeks-Martin , Mindy Meeks-Martin , Richie Kirsch