Highlights
- Kevin Williamson may not be the right choice to direct Scream 7, as the franchise needs fresh ideas and new creative talent.
- Williamson's writing style, focused on teens and meta discussions of horror, may not align with the direction the franchise should take.
- While Williamson has a strong understanding of horror movie rules, his lack of directing experience poses a potential challenge for Scream 7's success.
While the Scream franchise has been fun and engaging since the beginning, the path to make Scream 7 has been rocky, to say the least. After the announcement that Christopher Landon wouldn't direct the next film after all, Scream 7 got two big updates: Kevin Williamson will direct and Neve Campbell is reprising her final girl role of Sidney Prescott. Given both of their important histories with the slasher franchise, this was exciting news.
However, even though Kevin Williamson is the talented writer of many horror movies and the showrunner/producer on horror TV shows like The Vampire Diaries, he might not be the right director to move the franchise forward. There are a few reasons why another director might have been a better choice for Scream 7.
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Big announcements for Scream 7 have led to more questions arising about the upcoming sequel.
Scream 7's Director May Be A Bad Fit
It's possible to argue that Scream 7's director Kevin Williamson might not be the best pick to move the slasher franchise into the fresh direction that it needs. While he wrote three of the Scream movies and has been involved since the beginning, Scream (2022) and Scream 6 proved that the franchise needs new ideas and new creative talent to continue to engage fans.
Fans wonder what characters should return for Scream 7 because they enjoyed seeing the Core Four of Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Brown) fight new Ghostfaces.
Much of Kevin Williamson's work has involved telling stories about teenagers, from Dawson's Creek which he created to The Vampire Diaries, the first Scream movie, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. While he has a great writing style that lends itself well to that kind of storytelling, Scream has moved on from its origins. Scream 7 could break the franchise's rules by not including meta discussions of horror movies, and that might mean that a new director who hasn't been involved with the franchise is necessary.
Back in 2021, Kevin Williamson talked to Us Weekly about deciding to come back for Scream (2022). He said:
"I didn’t have any pressure because I didn’t have to do it. 25 years later, it’s exciting to sort of turn the franchise over someone else. I didn’t know how I felt about being a part of it with Wes gone. I think all of us had — you could ask Neve and Courteney — but we all had this question of ‘Why should we do this? With Wes gone, is Scream over?’ And, ‘Maybe if they’re going to do Scream again, then she’d just start over with a brand new story line and a true reboot?’"
Kevin Williamson Is A Writer, Not A Director
It's fair to say that since Kevin Williamson is a writer who has only directed one movie, he might not be the best choice to direct Scream 7. Williamson's 1999 movie Teaching Mrs. Tingle was released to little fanfare and starred Katie Holmes and Barry Watson as high school students who kidnap their mean teacher, played by Helen Mirren. While the film is funny and clever, it's a fairly corny story. While Williamson is of course familiar with the Scream franchise, he doesn't have the directing experience that many others do.
Which Movies Has Kevin Williamson Written?
- Scream (1996)
- I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
- Scream 2 (1997)
- The Faculty (1998)
- Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
- Cursed (2005)
- Scream 4 (2011)
- Sick (2022)
It was a shame to see Christopher Landon exit Scream 7 because he has directed several popular horror movies, including Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2 U, and Freaky. These movies have the same hilarious and sometimes silly tone as the Scream franchise, which is why Landon was a great fit.
Was Kevin Williamson Hired For Scream 7 To Appease Fans?
Kevin Williamson could have been hired to direct Scream 7 to make fans happy since there has been so much upheaval since the sequel was first announced. There's no question that he is familiar with the rules of horror movies, Sidney Prescott's traumatic story, and how to craft a compelling opening sequence. Kevin Williamson had plans for Scream 5 and 6, he didn't write those movies, although he was an executive producer on both.
When fans finally get the chance to see Scream 7, there's no doubt that it will feature elements that audiences have loved since the 1996 film. It will likely have great characters, clever jokes, and a fun and fast-paced opening sequence. But it would have been interesting to see where a new director could take Scream 7.
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