Having become cult, the Scream franchise marked a turning point in horror cinema. And for good reason ! The masked killer has become a real social phenomenon. It’s hard to imagine an actress other than Neve Campbell to face Ghostface. Other actresses were, however, in the running to play the leading female role. Remember among other things the call exchanged with the killer at the opening of the first part … Drew Barrymore did not last long and ended up badly banged up. The student with a broken destiny could have stood up to Ghostface throughout the saga, however!
An unprecedented success
Created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, the horrific franchise Scream made a whole generation tremble at the end of the 90s. A clever mix between slasher, metafiction and black comedy, the four films of the saga have reported $ 604.4 million in revenue for a budget of $ 118 million. In 1997, theatrical releases Titanic and of Tomorrow never dies were even rejected so as not to be in direct competition with Scream 2 ! Worn by actress Neve Campbell, the saga also included David Arquette and Courteney Cox in its ranks. It is also on the set that the lovebirds began a romantic relationship that ended in 2013 with a divorce.
Partly inspired by the Gainesville killer case (convicted of 8 murders and executed by lethal injection in 2006) and the film Halloween (1978) signed John Carpenter, Scream (1996) takes us to the heart of the Californian city of Woodsboro. Usually very quiet, the place is shaken by the murders of two students. The police are investigating, while the killer strikes again, inspired by horror films of the 1970s and 1980s. Who will be the next victim? Who is hiding behind the assassin’s mask? The investigation begins when killer targets Sidney Prescott, whose mother died a year earlier under strange circumstances. With a production budget of just $ 14 million, Scream the first of the name brings in 173 million!
The hidden face of Sidney Prescott
In addition to Reese Witherspoon, Brittany Murphy or Tori Spelling who were approached to camp the heroine, Drew Barrymore has been offered the role of Sidney Prescott. Granddaughter of actor John Barrymore and actress Dolores Costello, the famous “funny lady” is also the goddaughter of director Steven Spielberg. Hence his first role in the essential AND the Alien in 1982. The latter having had other projects on fire at the time, it was finally Neve Campbell who was chosen to give a hard time to Ghostface.
Barrymore slipped into the student’s chenille sweater Casey Becker, first victim of the serial killer. Indeed, the actress had herself suggested to the director Wes Craven to kill her immediately. The reason ? The public would immediately realize that in Scream, no one is immune. Anything can happen when you least expect it. A strong emotional opening sequence since the young woman’s body is found by her parents who have just returned from the evening …
It’s best just to laugh !
It is withina hilarious video titled “What if Casey Becker from Scream lived? ” that Drew Barrymore has slipped into Casey Becker’s skin again. Aired in the online show The Drew Barrymore Show in October 2020, the parody sketch of about thirty seconds shows us what the life of the young student could have been if she had lived. Always decked out in her blonde fringe bob, Casey become an adult “ghost ” literally Ghostface ! Indeed, the former student of Woodsboro High School ignores the serial killer’s calls and messages, meanwhile he’s determined to kill him. Tired of seeing his humorous attempts fail and his plan collapsed, the masked man is on the verge of implosion.
Soberly baptized Scream, the fifth installment of the saga is due out in theaters on January 12, 2022. Remember that this is the first opus not to be directed by Wes Craven. Indeed, the creator passed away in 2015 at the age of 76. The realization was thus entrusted to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Don’t hesitate to re-read our article about the plan put in place by production to prevent any crisp details from leaking out.
