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Scream 5 Release Date, Trailer, Cast, Plot, Updates and Everything We Know So Far


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If someone asked you what your favorite scary movie was in the late '90s, the chances are it was Scream. When the hip slasher hit theaters in 1996, it turned the entire subgenre on its head. Its commentary on the age-old slasher flick was refreshing, calling upon tropes and clichés that had been exhausted in countless films, courtesy of the likes of A Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween, and Friday 13th sequels, to name but a few.

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But Scream changed everything. It was the first mainstream film of its kind that drew attention to the makeup of such a film, using the voice of both its protagonists and antagonist to do so (although let it be said that 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare tested these waters first). And its countless references to other films oddly gave Scream its own identity, as opposed to films nowadays that use them for nothing more than nostalgia. The whodunnit murder mystery became an instant classic and was the trendiest horror that had emerged since Halloween in 1978.

Five years later, Scream concluded as a trilogy. Scream was the conversation-breaker on slasher movies, Scream 2 had just as much to say about the sequel formula, and Scream 3 was an analysis of movie trilogies. The third entry might have fallen short on the semi-serious horror that made the first two work so well, but still tied things up nicely, a fitting ending that suggested - almost promised - there would be no more sequels. But ten years later, when it seemed that yet another near-perfect trilogy had been left in peace, we got Scream 4.

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While entertaining in its own right, the fourth entry tragically turned the once-clever series into the kind of multi-movie franchise that Scream was designed to poke fun at in the first place. What's even more tragic is that Scream 4 even jokes about this from the offset, while none the wiser to its own shortcomings. It also attempts to perform its own meta-analysis on reboots, which on paper is a great concept, but the script simply isn't smart enough to comment on anything.

Now, another ten years have passed and there have been no more sequels - though we have had a number of Scream TV shows that also missed the mark. But as we know with movie franchises - especially horror - tend not to go unnoticed for too long. Someone somewhere always has something new to say, some fresh teens to 'slice and dice', some hidden agenda that's always revealed in the third act. So, is there another Scream movie in the works? Let's unmask this mystery...

Scream 5 release date

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Let's cut to the chase. Is there going to be a Scream 5? Despite our silent pleas over the past ten years, a fifth Scream film is happening. In fact, it's already happened - filming wrapped in November last year, and the release has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally scheduled for release this year but is now set for January 2022. This is slightly worrying, though, as January is renowned for being the month where "movies go to die", and is also usually associated with poor horror films.

But perhaps with little competition in the way, the new Scream movie might just stand a chance. With that said, none of the entries so far have flopped. The new 'meta slasher movie' is being directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. It's the second film in the franchise that isn't being penned by Kevin Williamson and the first that isn't being directed by Wes Craven, who sadly passed away in 2015. However, Williamson will serve as executive producer for the new film. The new Scream movie will be released in theaters on January 14, 2022.

Scream 5 trailer

The first official trailer for Scream 5 was released on October 12, and promises to be yet another action-packed slasher, with characters old and new facing off against a brand-new Ghostface (or more).

Scream 5 cast

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Is the new Scream movie a reboot? Despite rumors that the series would be rebooted, the new Scream will not be a reboot. Not only has it already been confirmed as a sequel to the four films, it will also see the return of David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Marley Shelton, and Roger L. Jackson, who will be reprising their roles as Dewey Riley, Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, Judy Hicks, and the voice of Ghostface. With the exception of Marley Shelton, the others have appeared in all four films so far, which makes them pretty lucky given the franchise's body count.

Newcomers include Sonia Ben Ammar, Kyle Gallner, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Dylan Minnette, and Mikey Madison. To no surprise whatsoever, their roles are undisclosed - which is more than likely due to the fact that the filmmakers want to keep the identity of the killer (or killers) a secret. The Scream series is known for having 'fake scripts' created in case of any leaks - this was even joked about in Scream 3 during the production of the 'in-universe' movie Stab 3.

Related: First Official Trailer For Scream 5 Is Here

Scream 5 plot

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​What will Scream 5 be about? The current synopsis reads as follows: "The film follows the story of a young woman who returns to her old hometown, only to encounter horrific murder cases connected to a notorious masked serial killer." So it looks like we'll be returning to Woodsboro again (as also seen in the trailer), which will be for the third time in the series. But how many times do we need to go back to Woodsboro? Didn't Scream 4 cover that? And didn't Scream 3 pretty much do the same thing (okay, Woodsboro was a movie set in that film, but it was still all about 'going back to the beginning').

So it looks like our Scooby Gang will once again be pitted against one or more Ghostface killers. Exactly how Sidney Prescott will be brought back into the fold yet again, though, remains to be seen , but in the new trailer she's contacted by Dewey when a new killer emerges. However, Scream 4 in many ways retconned her character, seeing her return to Woodsboro to promote her new book - a paper-thin excuse (no pun intended) to have her back on the playing field. With that said, the prospect of seeing her kick Ghostface's butt all over again does fill us with some excitement.

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So what will Scream 5 be called? Well, if Ghostface pop-quizzed you on what you thought the fifth Scream installment would be called, you'd probably guess wrong, because it's actually going to be called Scream - just like the original movie. Perhaps the movie is intended to be a reboot of sorts, and the title might be the first clue. However, as the film's title is imitating what Halloween did in 2018, is it possible it will retcon all the Scream sequels, or will its killer (or killers) behave as if nothing has happened since the 1996 murders? Now that would be an interesting approach.

We'll just have to wait and see if Scream (2022) will have anything new to offer, or whether it will be yet another copycat of its former self.

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