Paramount and Spyglass have announced a sixth Scream film, which is predictable but nevertheless exciting. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who directed Radio Silence, will return to direct, with James Vanderbilt and Guyt Busick authoring the screenplay and Kevin Williamson among the producers. Production is set to begin this summer, indicating that all stakeholders were already brainstorming ideas for a sequel even before we knew whether or not anyone would show up for this one. Spoiler alert: Scream received positive reviews, had a solid run, and grossed $64 million domestically and roughly $111 million globally on a $24 million budget.
Because it cost less than Scream 3 ($40 million in 2000) and Scream 4 ($40 million in 2011), it’ll be a smash even if it doesn’t gross as much as the first three Scream films ($161-$173 million globally). It has already surpassed Scream 4 ($38 million domestic/$98 million globally) and is on its way to a $75 million domestic/$130 million global total. That’ll be 5.5 times its budget, a clear triumph for horror films in the midst of the epidemic. The R-rated pandemic-era grossers will be Conjuring 3 ($65 million) and Halloween Kills ($92 million).
I enjoyed the fifth Scream a bit more than I anticipated, since it effectively pulled off the legacy sequel trick of focusing on the new protagonists (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) rather than the franchise veterans (Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette). It focused on the rookies, as did most of the popular legacy sequels, and it wasn’t very costly. Think more Creed than Terminator: Dark Fate. Without delving into who lives, Scream finishes with at least a few credible franchise newbies that fans and broad audiences could like to see make a return engagement.
Scream 5’s “very excellent for an R-rated horror movie” box office numbers don’t guarantee that Solo 2 or Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe will be a hit. I’m concerned that, like Sony’s “got it right on the second try” reboots of Spider-Man, Scream’s near-unprecedented success will lead to studios considering pricey sequels to “but folks now love it on Twitter” bombs like John Carter or second or third reboots of franchises like Charlie’s Angels that audiences clearly rejected. Sorry, Sky dance, but this does not imply that we want another Terminator reboot.
I’m reminded of the eighth season of 24 where you wished Jack Bauer would simply stay in bed (or at the very least stay in New York and be a full-time grandpa after years of self-sacrificing heroics) rather than become involved again. The fact that the film will be shot this summer suggests that these concerns have been addressed. Furthermore, the Scream franchise performed the unthinkable by resurrecting after a critically panned but financially successful sequel (Scream 3) and an outright box office flop (Scream 4) to prosper once again. That implies Scream 6 (or whatever it’ll be named) will be given the benefit of the doubt, something no other instalment has had since February 7, 2000.
