Scream 4
Encyclopedia
Scream 4 is a 2011 American slasher
horror film
and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. Directed by Wes Craven
and written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream
and Scream 2
, the film stars an ensemble cast
which includes David Arquette
, Neve Campbell
, Courteney Cox
, Emma Roberts
, and Hayden Panettiere
.
The plot involves Sidney Prescott
returning to Woodsboro 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 after ten years, Bob Weinstein
thought it was the right time for another film. 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 to mixed reviews. It took in $19.3 million its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, making it the second-lowest opening since the first film.
) and Marnie Cooper (Brittany Robertson
) are attacked and brutally killed by a new Ghostface
.
The following day, Sidney Prescott
(Neve Campbell
) returns to Woodsboro to promote her new book with her publicist Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie
). Sidney becomes a suspect in the murders after evidence is found in her rental car, and she must stay in town until the murders are solved. Her cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts
), who is dealing with the betrayal of her ex-boyfriend, Trevor Sheldon (Nico Tortorella
) gets a threatening phone call from Ghostface, as does her friend Olivia Morris (Marielle Jaffe
). Jill and Olivia, alongside their friend Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere
), are questioned about their calls by Dewey Riley (David Arquette
), who is now the sheriff of the town, and one of his deputies, Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton
). Meanwhile, Dewey's now-wife, Gale Weathers-Riley (Courteney Cox
), is struggling with writer's block
.
Sidney stays with her aunt Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell
). Later that night, Olivia, who lives next door to Jill, is attacked and murdered by Ghostface as Jill and Kirby watch in horror while Sidney was interrupted by a scream while reading her book. Sidney and Jill were injured in their attempt to save Olivia, and are taken to the hospital, where her publicist Rebecca is murdered in the parking garage. Gale, trying to solve the murders, enlists the help of two high school movie geeks, Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin
) and Robbie Mercer (Erik Knudsen
), who explain that the killer is using the rules of movie remakes to murder. Charlie concludes that the killer will probably strike at a party being held that night.
Gale goes to the party to investigate, but is attacked and injured by Ghostface, who flees as Dewey arrives. He has her taken to the hospital. Shortly afterwards, at Jill's house, policemen Anthony Perkins (Anthony Anderson
) and Ross Hoss (Adam Brody
) are killed. Sidney discovers that Jill has left and gone to Kirby's house, and goes down to tell Kate, but the killer arrives and chases them. Kate is killed. After Deputy Judy Hicks arrives, Sidney rushes to Kirby's house to save Jill on her own.
Jill, Kirby, Charlie, Robbie and Trevor are at Kirby's house when Ghostface appears and murders a drunken Robbie. Sidney arrives at the house. Kirby is forced to answer horror movie trivia to save Charlie, who is tied up outside. Sidney goes upstairs to find Jill, promising to return to Kirby. Believing she has won Ghostface's game, Kirby goes outside to untie Charlie, but he stabs her in the stomach and reveals himself as Ghostface. Charlie and his accomplice attack Sidney, the accomplice is revealed to be Jill. She explains that she wants the attention Sidney got, and that the two want to become famous for being the survivors of the murders and framing Trevor for it; she then pulls him out of a closet and executes him with a shot to the head. Jill kills Charlie too, to pin him as Trevor's accomplice, making her the sole survivor. Jill stabs Sidney in the stomach and mutilates herself to make it seem as if Trevor attacked her, while Dewey, Judy, and the rest of the police stumble in on the carnage.
Jill is then taken to the hospital but after discovering that Sidney had survived, she then attempts to murder Sidney. Just in time, Dewey, Gale, and Judy arrives to help her. Jill subdues Sidney's rescuers, giving Sidney the chance to attack Jill with a defibrillator and then shoot her in the chest, killing her. Dewey calls in all police units as media reporters outside confirm Jill as the "sole-surviving hero".
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.
murders but have been numerous sequels to the film-within-a-film Stab. He also commented on the life status of Sidney Prescott, "She's done her best to move on from the events that occurred in the previous films, even releasing a successful book". Craven said that endless sequels, the modern spew of remakes, film studios, and directors are the butts of parodies in the film. The main characters have to figure out where the horror genre is in current days to figure out the modern events happening to and around them.
In an early draft of the script, Gale and Dewey had a baby, but was changed after it was decided bringing a baby into the film would make shooting "impossible". In another early form of the script, the opening scene involved Sidney going head-to-head with Ghostface and being left for dead. There would have been a two-year gap in the story while she recovered, however, Bob Weinstein feared it would slow the pace of the story and bringing in young characters would work out best.
Scream 3
writer, Ehren Kruger
, was brought in during production to do re-writes. Craven said, "Look, there was a bumpy period when things shifted over from Kevin to Ehren. I signed up to do a script by Kevin and unfortunately that didn't go all the way through the shooting. But it certainly is Kevin's script and concept and characters and themes". It was reported that the actors were not given the 140 pages long script past page 75 in order to protect the identity of the Ghostface killer.
reported that Neve Campbell
, David Arquette
, and Courteney Cox
would return. Craven briefly explained their roles in a later interview with Entertainment Weekly
, saying "It's a total integration of those three and new kids. The story of Sid, Gale, and Dewey is very much a part of the movie." At a press conference for Repo Men, Liev Schreiber
— who played Cotton Weary in the first three films — stated there were no plans for his reprisal. In an interview with FEARnet
, Williamson continued to deny a rumor of Jamie Kennedy
returning, "I would love nothing more than to have Jamie Kennedy in the film. However to have Randy in the film, it sort of just takes it… I mean Scream 2 was a lie, you know? It's a false move. So I just won't do it. I can't do that. I just won't do it". In April, over 12 casting sides were released to the public to buy for auditions of the film.
In May 2010, Hayden Panettiere
and Rory Culkin
signed on. Ashley Greene
was offered the role of Sidney's cousin, Jill, but the role later went to Emma Roberts
. Lake Bell
was to play Deputy Judy Hicks, but dropped out four days before filming due to scheduling conflicts, the role went to Marley Shelton
. Nancy O'Dell reprises her role from the second and third films as a reporter. Roger L. Jackson
returned as the voice of Ghostface
. Lauren Graham
was to play Kate Kessler, the mother of Roberts' character, but dropped out a few days into principal photography. Craven, like in the previous three films, has a cameo
and took to his Twitter
to ask fans to pick his role. The Hollywood Reporter
reported that Anna Paquin
and Kristen Bell
have cameo
s in the beginning of the film akin to Drew Barrymore
and Jada Pinkett Smith
in the first and second Scream. Shenae Grimes
and Lucy Hale
also have cameos in the film.
began on June 28, 2010. Filming was scheduled to end on September 6, after a 42-day shoot, but instead concluded on September 24. Filming took place in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan
. Some scenes for a flashback sequence portraying a school featured in a previous Scream film were shot at Woodworth Middle School in Dearborn, Michigan
. The former 16th District Court in Livonia, Michigan
was used as a police station.
In April 2010, while scouting for a bookstore to use in the film, Craven spotted a new bookstore that had not yet opened in downtown Northville, Michigan
named Next Chapter Bookstore Bistro. Craven instantly loved the building as well as the name and decided to use both in the film. He also hired the owner's chef to prepare the food and pastry for a scene in the film. The scenes were shot the first week of July. After the test screening in January, Craven and Weinstein did not think two scenes played well for the audience. Aimee Teegarden and Alison Brie returned to Detroit in late January and early February for four days of additional shooting. The scenes involved Teegarden's character who is stalked at her home and Brie's character who is attacked in a parking garage.
The film also extensively used computer-generated imagery
(CGI), for the first time in the franchise. For example, instead of using a "collapsing knife", the knife's blade was added during post-production with CGI effects. Anderson's death was shot with 30 cameras at different angles. His particular death scene in which he is stabbed in the forehead and walks a few feet while talking before finally falling to his death, was not in the script but was inspired by a "real-life medical emergency" Craven had seen in a documentary about a person being stabbed through their head and walked into an emergency room. He thought it was "extraordinary if somebody was stabbed in the head and still be alive for a while". Craven also did not tell the studio that he was taking this approach for the death scene, jokingly saying he hoped he would not be fired the next day.
. A score soundtrack was also released, on April 19, 2011 by Varèse Sarabande
.
took place in Pittsburgh on January 6, 2011. The Hollywood premiere took place on April 11, 2011 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
. The film was released on April 15, 2011.
and Blu-ray
in Mexico on August 5, 2011. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 22, 2011. It was released in Canada and the United States on October 4, 2011, and in Australia and New Zealand on October 13, 2011. Within its first four weeks Scream 4 was made $2,990,451 in DVD sales in the United States.
. In its first weekend worldwide the film took $37.3 million from 30 territories, behind only Rio
which took $53.9 million from 62 territories. The film topped the box office in the United Kingdom
taking over £2 million, came in second in France
, third in Mexico
and fourth in Australia
. In its second weekend, it fell in fifth place, taking in $7.2 million. Scream 4 has grossed $97,138,686 at the worldwide box office.
reports that 58% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 163 reviews, with an average score of 5.8 out of 10. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a 52 based on 32 reviews. CinemaScore
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B minus on an A plus to F scale.
Roger Ebert
gave the film two out of four stars, criticizing the film for using the clichéd formula of the slasher genre. Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post
gave the film a negative rating of one and half out of four stars saying "the problem is, the movie doesn't really care if we are laughing with it or at it". Empire gave the film two out of five stars, criticizing the film's old-fashioned formula and lack of scare factor. The New York Daily News thought the film was "dated" and that "relying on obvious clichés doesn't seem ironic anymore, just easy." The Toronto Sun
gave the film a mixed review, writing that "this installment is nowhere near the hip, serrated-edge blast of newness the original was in 1996. Suddenly, it's the horror thriller that, like, your parents are excited about"; however, the review praised director Wes Craven. Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
gave the film a perfect score of four out of four stars, praising the combination of scares, comedy, and twists.
The Boston Herald
wrote that the film is "often amusing" but too long. Lisa Kennedy from the Denver Post
stated that Scream 4 "pays plenty of homage to their 1996 original", but that it is not close to its greatness. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly
praised the film, stating "It's a giddy reminder of everything that made Scream such a fresh scream in the first place," while Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times
wrote that "Scream 4 finds a way to live up to its gory past while it carves out new terrors in new ways." Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone
gave the movie two out of four stars, criticizing the comedic overtones. Eric Goldman of IGN
gave the film four out of five stars stating, "The first film is still the best, but this is much more in line with (and perhaps even better than) the fun of Scream 2 and the drab Scream 3. Scream 4s conclusion also works as a strong series ender."
In June 2011, Scream 4 was nominated for a Teen Choice Award
for Best Horror Movie but lost over Paranormal Activity 2
.
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. Directed by Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
and written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream
Scream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
and Scream 2
Scream 2
Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy and Liev Schreiber, released on December 12, 1997 as the second installment in the Scream film series...
, the film stars an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
which includes David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
, Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
, Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
, Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
, and Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
.
The plot involves Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Scream series of slasher films. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in Scream followed by three sequels: Scream 2 , Scream 3 ...
returning to Woodsboro after ten years as part of her book tour. As soon as she arrives, Ghostface
Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
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
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
, but after ten years, Bob Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
thought it was the right time for another film. 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
Ehren Kruger
-Life and career:Kruger was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended college at New York University. He attended the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, graduating in 1990....
(Scream 3
Scream 3
Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film created by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette, released on February 4, 2000 as the third, and originally, concluding installment in the Scream film series...
) 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
Rory Culkin
Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
were the first of the new cast to sign on in May 2010. Ashley Greene
Ashley Greene
Ashley Michele Greene is an American actress and model, best known for playing Alice Cullen in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels.- Personal life :...
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
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in June 2010 to September 2010, with re-shoots in early 2011.
Scream 4 was released on April 15, 2011 to mixed reviews. It took in $19.3 million its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, making it the second-lowest opening since the first film.
Plot
On the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders, high school students Jenny Randall (Aimee TeegardenAimee Teegarden
Aimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...
) and Marnie Cooper (Brittany Robertson
Brittany Robertson
Brittany Leanna "Britt" Robertson is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing the roles of Cara Burns in Dan In Real Life, Samantha in Swingtown, Trixie Stone in The Tenth Circle, Lux Cassidy in Life Unexpected, and Marnie Cooper in Scream 4...
) are attacked and brutally killed by a new Ghostface
Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
.
The following day, Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Scream series of slasher films. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in Scream followed by three sequels: Scream 2 , Scream 3 ...
(Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
) returns to Woodsboro to promote her new book with her publicist Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie
Alison Brie
-External links:...
). Sidney becomes a suspect in the murders after evidence is found in her rental car, and she must stay in town until the murders are solved. Her cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
), who is dealing with the betrayal of her ex-boyfriend, Trevor Sheldon (Nico Tortorella
Nico Tortorella
Nico Tortorella is an American actor and model. He is best known for his role of Trevor Sheldon in the 2011 horror film Scream 4, and as Razor in the ABC TV series Make It or Break It.-Life and career:...
) gets a threatening phone call from Ghostface, as does her friend Olivia Morris (Marielle Jaffe
Marielle Jaffe
Jaclyn Marielle Jaffe is an American actress.Jaffe was born in Valencia, California. She made her feature film debut as Aphrodite Girl in the 2010 film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In April 2011, she was the supporting character Olivia Morris in the slasher film Scream 4...
). Jill and Olivia, alongside their friend Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
), are questioned about their calls by Dewey Riley (David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
), who is now the sheriff of the town, and one of his deputies, Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton
Marley Shelton
Marley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
). Meanwhile, Dewey's now-wife, Gale Weathers-Riley (Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
), is struggling with writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
.
Sidney stays with her aunt Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell
Mary McDonnell
Mary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
). Later that night, Olivia, who lives next door to Jill, is attacked and murdered by Ghostface as Jill and Kirby watch in horror while Sidney was interrupted by a scream while reading her book. Sidney and Jill were injured in their attempt to save Olivia, and are taken to the hospital, where her publicist Rebecca is murdered in the parking garage. Gale, trying to solve the murders, enlists the help of two high school movie geeks, Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin
Rory Culkin
Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
) and Robbie Mercer (Erik Knudsen
Erik Knudsen
Erik Kenneth William Knudsen is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Daniel Matthews in Saw II and Robbie Mercer in Scream 4 and played Dale Turner in the CBS series Jericho.-Life and career:...
), who explain that the killer is using the rules of movie remakes to murder. Charlie concludes that the killer will probably strike at a party being held that night.
Gale goes to the party to investigate, but is attacked and injured by Ghostface, who flees as Dewey arrives. He has her taken to the hospital. Shortly afterwards, at Jill's house, policemen Anthony Perkins (Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
) and Ross Hoss (Adam Brody
Adam Brody
Adam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
) are killed. Sidney discovers that Jill has left and gone to Kirby's house, and goes down to tell Kate, but the killer arrives and chases them. Kate is killed. After Deputy Judy Hicks arrives, Sidney rushes to Kirby's house to save Jill on her own.
Jill, Kirby, Charlie, Robbie and Trevor are at Kirby's house when Ghostface appears and murders a drunken Robbie. Sidney arrives at the house. Kirby is forced to answer horror movie trivia to save Charlie, who is tied up outside. Sidney goes upstairs to find Jill, promising to return to Kirby. Believing she has won Ghostface's game, Kirby goes outside to untie Charlie, but he stabs her in the stomach and reveals himself as Ghostface. Charlie and his accomplice attack Sidney, the accomplice is revealed to be Jill. She explains that she wants the attention Sidney got, and that the two want to become famous for being the survivors of the murders and framing Trevor for it; she then pulls him out of a closet and executes him with a shot to the head. Jill kills Charlie too, to pin him as Trevor's accomplice, making her the sole survivor. Jill stabs Sidney in the stomach and mutilates herself to make it seem as if Trevor attacked her, while Dewey, Judy, and the rest of the police stumble in on the carnage.
Jill is then taken to the hospital but after discovering that Sidney had survived, she then attempts to murder Sidney. Just in time, Dewey, Gale, and Judy arrives to help her. Jill subdues Sidney's rescuers, giving Sidney the chance to attack Jill with a defibrillator and then shoot her in the chest, killing her. Dewey calls in all police units as media reporters outside confirm Jill as the "sole-surviving hero".
Cast
- David ArquetteDavid ArquetteDavid Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
as Sheriff Dewey Riley - Neve CampbellNeve CampbellNeve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
as Sidney PrescottSidney PrescottSidney Prescott is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Scream series of slasher films. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in Scream followed by three sequels: Scream 2 , Scream 3 ... - Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
as Gale Weathers-Riley - Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
as Jill Roberts - Hayden PanettiereHayden PanettiereHayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
as Kirby Reed - Anthony AndersonAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
as Deputy Anthony Perkins - Alison BrieAlison Brie-External links:...
as Rebecca Walters - Adam BrodyAdam BrodyAdam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
as Deputy Ross Hoss - Rory CulkinRory CulkinRory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
as Charlie Walker - Marielle JaffeMarielle JaffeJaclyn Marielle Jaffe is an American actress.Jaffe was born in Valencia, California. She made her feature film debut as Aphrodite Girl in the 2010 film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In April 2011, she was the supporting character Olivia Morris in the slasher film Scream 4...
as Olivia Morris - Erik KnudsenErik KnudsenErik Kenneth William Knudsen is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Daniel Matthews in Saw II and Robbie Mercer in Scream 4 and played Dale Turner in the CBS series Jericho.-Life and career:...
as Robbie Mercer - Mary McDonnellMary McDonnellMary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
as Kate Roberts - Marley SheltonMarley SheltonMarley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
as Deputy Judy Hicks - Nico TortorellaNico TortorellaNico Tortorella is an American actor and model. He is best known for his role of Trevor Sheldon in the 2011 horror film Scream 4, and as Razor in the ABC TV series Make It or Break It.-Life and career:...
as Trevor Sheldon - Anna PaquinAnna PaquinAnna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
as Rachel - Kristen BellKristen BellKristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
as Chloe - Lucy HaleLucy HaleKaren Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
as Sherrie - Shenae GrimesShenae GrimesShenae Grimes is a Canadian actress. She currently portrays the role of Annie Wilson on 90210, a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210. Prior to that she played Darcy Edwards on Degrassi: The Next Generation...
as Trudie - Britt Robertson as Marnie Cooper
- Aimee TeegardenAimee TeegardenAimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...
as Jenny Randall - Roger L. JacksonRoger L. JacksonRoger Labon Jackson is an American voice actor. He is best known for voicing the killer Ghostface in the Scream films, leaving him to keep an unknown identity to withhold the mystery of Ghostface...
as the voice of GhostfaceGhostface (Scream)Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
Development
Scream 4 was announced by The Weinstein CompanyThe Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
in July 2008, with Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
saying that he would not mind directing the film if the script was as good as Scream
Scream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
. 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
Cathy Konrad
Cathy Konrad is an award winning American film producer. She has produced several successful films including the Scream trilogy, Girl, Interrupted, and, most recently, 3:10 to Yuma.-Producer:* Men in Trees...
, 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.
Writing
Craven stated that within the ten years that have passed between Scream 3 and Scream 4 there have been no "real life" GhostfaceGhostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
murders but have been numerous sequels to the film-within-a-film Stab. He also commented on the life status of Sidney Prescott, "She's done her best to move on from the events that occurred in the previous films, even releasing a successful book". Craven said that endless sequels, the modern spew of remakes, film studios, and directors are the butts of parodies in the film. The main characters have to figure out where the horror genre is in current days to figure out the modern events happening to and around them.
In an early draft of the script, Gale and Dewey had a baby, but was changed after it was decided bringing a baby into the film would make shooting "impossible". In another early form of the script, the opening scene involved Sidney going head-to-head with Ghostface and being left for dead. There would have been a two-year gap in the story while she recovered, however, Bob Weinstein feared it would slow the pace of the story and bringing in young characters would work out best.
Scream 3
Scream 3
Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film created by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette, released on February 4, 2000 as the third, and originally, concluding installment in the Scream film series...
writer, Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger
-Life and career:Kruger was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended college at New York University. He attended the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, graduating in 1990....
, was brought in during production to do re-writes. Craven said, "Look, there was a bumpy period when things shifted over from Kevin to Ehren. I signed up to do a script by Kevin and unfortunately that didn't go all the way through the shooting. But it certainly is Kevin's script and concept and characters and themes". It was reported that the actors were not given the 140 pages long script past page 75 in order to protect the identity of the Ghostface killer.
Casting
In September 2009, VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
, David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
, and Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
would return. Craven briefly explained their roles in a later interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, saying "It's a total integration of those three and new kids. The story of Sid, Gale, and Dewey is very much a part of the movie." At a press conference for Repo Men, Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber
Isaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
— who played Cotton Weary in the first three films — stated there were no plans for his reprisal. In an interview with FEARnet
FEARnet
Fearnet is a cable channel, website and Video on Demand television service owned by Horror Entertainment LLC, a joint venture between Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment...
, Williamson continued to deny a rumor of Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
returning, "I would love nothing more than to have Jamie Kennedy in the film. However to have Randy in the film, it sort of just takes it… I mean Scream 2 was a lie, you know? It's a false move. So I just won't do it. I can't do that. I just won't do it". In April, over 12 casting sides were released to the public to buy for auditions of the film.
In May 2010, Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
and Rory Culkin
Rory Culkin
Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
signed on. Ashley Greene
Ashley Greene
Ashley Michele Greene is an American actress and model, best known for playing Alice Cullen in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels.- Personal life :...
was offered the role of Sidney's cousin, Jill, but the role later went to Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
. Lake Bell
Lake Bell
-Early life:Bell was born in New York City, the daughter of Robin Bell, owner of the design firm Robin Bell Design, Inc. in New York, and Harvey Siegel. Her father is Jewish and her mother is Protestant, and Bell has stated that she was raised in a "comically dysfunctional family".Bell attended The...
was to play Deputy Judy Hicks, but dropped out four days before filming due to scheduling conflicts, the role went to Marley Shelton
Marley Shelton
Marley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
. Nancy O'Dell reprises her role from the second and third films as a reporter. Roger L. Jackson
Roger L. Jackson
Roger Labon Jackson is an American voice actor. He is best known for voicing the killer Ghostface in the Scream films, leaving him to keep an unknown identity to withhold the mystery of Ghostface...
returned as the voice of Ghostface
Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
. Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
was to play Kate Kessler, the mother of Roberts' character, but dropped out a few days into principal photography. Craven, like in the previous three films, has a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
and took to his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to ask fans to pick his role. The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
reported that Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
Anna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
and Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
have cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in the beginning of the film akin to Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
and Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
in the first and second Scream. Shenae Grimes
Shenae Grimes
Shenae Grimes is a Canadian actress. She currently portrays the role of Annie Wilson on 90210, a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210. Prior to that she played Darcy Edwards on Degrassi: The Next Generation...
and Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
also have cameos in the film.
Filming
On a budget of $40 million, principal photographyPrincipal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began on June 28, 2010. Filming was scheduled to end on September 6, after a 42-day shoot, but instead concluded on September 24. Filming took place in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. Some scenes for a flashback sequence portraying a school featured in a previous Scream film were shot at Woodworth Middle School in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. The former 16th District Court in Livonia, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
was used as a police station.
In April 2010, while scouting for a bookstore to use in the film, Craven spotted a new bookstore that had not yet opened in downtown Northville, Michigan
Northville, Michigan
Northville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. The Oakland County portion is surrounded by the city of Novi. The Wayne County portion is surrounded by Northville...
named Next Chapter Bookstore Bistro. Craven instantly loved the building as well as the name and decided to use both in the film. He also hired the owner's chef to prepare the food and pastry for a scene in the film. The scenes were shot the first week of July. After the test screening in January, Craven and Weinstein did not think two scenes played well for the audience. Aimee Teegarden and Alison Brie returned to Detroit in late January and early February for four days of additional shooting. The scenes involved Teegarden's character who is stalked at her home and Brie's character who is attacked in a parking garage.
The film also extensively used computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
(CGI), for the first time in the franchise. For example, instead of using a "collapsing knife", the knife's blade was added during post-production with CGI effects. Anderson's death was shot with 30 cameras at different angles. His particular death scene in which he is stabbed in the forehead and walks a few feet while talking before finally falling to his death, was not in the script but was inspired by a "real-life medical emergency" Craven had seen in a documentary about a person being stabbed through their head and walked into an emergency room. He thought it was "extraordinary if somebody was stabbed in the head and still be alive for a while". Craven also did not tell the studio that he was taking this approach for the death scene, jokingly saying he hoped he would not be fired the next day.
Music
The Scream 4: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on April 12, 2011 by Lakeshore RecordsLakeshore Records
Lakeshore Records is the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment . They started out as WILL Records.Will Records were started by Skip Williamson in the early 90s...
. A score soundtrack was also released, on April 19, 2011 by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
.
Release
A test screeningTest screening
A test screening is a preview screening of a movie or television show before its general release in order to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population, and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or provide feedback in some form. Harold...
took place in Pittsburgh on January 6, 2011. The Hollywood premiere took place on April 11, 2011 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
. The film was released on April 15, 2011.
Home media
Scream 4 was first released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in Mexico on August 5, 2011. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 22, 2011. It was released in Canada and the United States on October 4, 2011, and in Australia and New Zealand on October 13, 2011. Within its first four weeks Scream 4 was made $2,990,451 in DVD sales in the United States.
Box office
Scream 4 was released in 3,305 theaters on 4,400 screens and grossed over $1 million in its midnight opening, grossing an additional $8.7 million on Friday and another $7 million on Saturday, opening at second place for the weekend. According to "industry experts", the film's $19.3 million opening weekend was "disappointing", experiencing the second-lowest opening of the Scream franchiseScream (film series)
Scream is a series of American horror slasher films created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven. The films star Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. The series has grossed over $600 million in worldwide box-office receipts and consists, to date, of four motion pictures...
. In its first weekend worldwide the film took $37.3 million from 30 territories, behind only Rio
Rio (film)
Rio, often promoted as Rio: The Movie, is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which the film is set. The film features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne...
which took $53.9 million from 62 territories. The film topped the box office in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
taking over £2 million, came in second in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, third in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and fourth in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In its second weekend, it fell in fifth place, taking in $7.2 million. Scream 4 has grossed $97,138,686 at the worldwide box office.
| Release date (United States) |
Budget (estimated) |
Box office revenue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States/Canada | Other markets | Worldwide | ||
| April 15, 2011 | $40,000,000 | $38,180,928 | $58,957,758 | $97,138,686 |
Critical reviews
Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 58% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 163 reviews, with an average score of 5.8 out of 10. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a 52 based on 32 reviews. CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B minus on an A plus to F scale.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film two out of four stars, criticizing the film for using the clichéd formula of the slasher genre. Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
gave the film a negative rating of one and half out of four stars saying "the problem is, the movie doesn't really care if we are laughing with it or at it". Empire gave the film two out of five stars, criticizing the film's old-fashioned formula and lack of scare factor. The New York Daily News thought the film was "dated" and that "relying on obvious clichés doesn't seem ironic anymore, just easy." The Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
gave the film a mixed review, writing that "this installment is nowhere near the hip, serrated-edge blast of newness the original was in 1996. Suddenly, it's the horror thriller that, like, your parents are excited about"; however, the review praised director Wes Craven. Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
gave the film a perfect score of four out of four stars, praising the combination of scares, comedy, and twists.
The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
wrote that the film is "often amusing" but too long. Lisa Kennedy from the Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
stated that Scream 4 "pays plenty of homage to their 1996 original", but that it is not close to its greatness. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the film, stating "It's a giddy reminder of everything that made Scream such a fresh scream in the first place," while Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that "Scream 4 finds a way to live up to its gory past while it carves out new terrors in new ways." Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the movie two out of four stars, criticizing the comedic overtones. Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the film four out of five stars stating, "The first film is still the best, but this is much more in line with (and perhaps even better than) the fun of Scream 2 and the drab Scream 3. Scream 4s conclusion also works as a strong series ender."
In June 2011, Scream 4 was nominated for a Teen Choice Award
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
for Best Horror Movie but lost over Paranormal Activity 2
Paranormal Activity 2
Paranormal Activity 2 is a 2010 American supernatural horror film directed by Tod Williams and written by Michael R. Perry. The film is a parallel prequel to the 2007 film Paranormal Activity, beginning two months before and following up with the events depicted in the original film...
.