‘Scream 4’: 10 Things You May Not Know

scream 4
Dimension Films

As horror mastermind Wes Craven‘s final feature film, we have a soft spot for the slasher sequel Scream 4. Join us as we revisit the 2011 flick with these ten killer facts you may not know!

1Sidney’s father was killed off in a deleted scene

Portrayed by Lawrence Hecht, Sidney’s father Neil Prescott was first seen in the original Scream movie from 1996. Although Billy and Stu had kidnapped him with the intention of framing him for their murders, Sidney manages to save Neil in the end. Hecht later reprised the role for a brief moment in Scream 3, speaking about his concerns over Sid withdrawing from her social life.

Sadly – if you consider cut material to be canon – a deleted scene from the film reveals Neil has died prior to the events of Scream 4. In the cut scene, Dewey (David Arquette) attempts to convince Gale (Courteney Cox) to attend Sidney’s book signing. “It’s her first time back since her dad died,” Dewey says about Sidney’s return to Woodsboro.

Related Article: Only Scream Experts Can Ace this Trivia Quiz!

2Henry Winkler has a cameo appearance (sort of)

Speaking of the original Scream, franchise fans might remember Happy Days star Henry Winkler as Principal Himbry. After Ghostface stabs Himbry to death in his own office, the killer hangs up the principal’s body on the football field’s goalpost. Although Winkler was not credited for the role, he still managed to make his small part very memorable for fans of the series.

If you’re paying attention in Scream 4, you may be able to notice a Principal Himbry memorial bust in the Woodsboro high school. Bearing Winkler’s likeness, the Easter egg serves as a tribute to the character who died back in 1996.

Related Article: Celebrating the Modern Slasher Classic ‘Scream’ 20 Years Later

3It almost starred Ashley Greene, Lake Bell, and Lauren Graham

Emma Roberts stars in Scream 4 in the lead role of Jill, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. However, Roberts wasn’t the only name in consideration for the part. Prior to production, it was reported that the role was offered to Ashley Greene, known at the time as Alice Cullen from the Twilight film series. Ultimately, of course, the role went to Roberts, who was perfect for the part.

Additionally, there were two changes to the cast made just before the start of production. Boston Legal and Childrens Hospital star Lake Bell was originally cast as Deputy Judy Hicks, dropped out days before shooting due to scheduling conflicts. Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls fame was also set to play Jill’s mom Kate Roberts, but left the project just weeks after confirming her role. The parts went to Marley Shelton and Mary McDonnell, respectively.

Related Article: David Arquette’s Dewey Riley is the Unsung Hero of the ‘Scream’ Franchise

4The Scream 3 writer was brought on for rewrites

The first two Scream movies were directed by Wes Craven, both using screenplays written by Kevin Williamson. Because he was busy with other projects when producers approached him to write Scream 3, Williamson could only turn in a story outline less than 30 pages. The idea was for the film to take place in Woodsboro, where filmmakers are shooting a new Stab movie.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger was then brought in to develop a script based around Williamson’s treatment. However, he was told by the studio to discard it in favor of a new story following the events of the Columbine High School massacre. This led to the decision to move the plot to Hollywood, turning up the comedy while toning down the violence.

Craven and Williamson would reunite once again for Scream 4, with the former directing and the latter writing. During production, however, Kruger had been brought on board to provide some uncredited rewrites, much to Craven’s chagrin. “I signed up to do a script by Kevin and unfortunately that didn’t go all the way through the shooting,” the director said about the rewrites in a 2011 interview.

Related Article: Top 5 Most Shocking First Deaths in Horror Movies

5Dewey and Gale almost had a little Riley

In the end of 2000’s Scream 3, Dewey finally proposes to Gale, because nothing can bring a couple closer than surviving three mass murders. Scream 4 reveals that the two have since been married. Early on in the writing process, the plan was for the pair to have a baby as well. However, it was determined that trying to work a baby into the production would have made shooting far too difficult.

“They had a kid in the first couple of drafts,” Wes Craven revealed to EW about the axed subplot. “Then we just decided that was gonna make things impossible shooting and there really wasn’t a thing for the kid to be doing. Courteney was always showing up at crime scenes with a baby. This is not gonna work!”

Related Article: ‘You Might Be the Killer’ Reinvents the Meta Slasher

6David Arquette and Courteney Cox were separated during production

After portraying a couple in the original Scream and its subsequent sequels, life imitated art when David Arquette and Courteney Cox fell in love. The two tied the knot in 1999, about a year before their characters got engaged to be married in Scream 3. By Scream 4 in 2011, however, Dewey and Gale were still going strong in their marriage, but things weren’t working out so well in real life.

In 2010, Arquette and Cox revealed that they had been on a trial separation for quite some time. While playing a married couple for the film might have been awkward, the two performers treated the situation professionally and remained cordial on set. Their divorce was finalized in 2012, though the former couple remained close friends and business partners through their TV and film company Coquette Productions.

Related Article: The Scariest Slasher Movie Moments

7There’s a hidden Easter egg for Kevin Smith

In the first Scream movie, a VHS copy of the Kevin Smith comedy Clerks can be seen in Stu Macher’s house. Fifteen years later, Smith’s movies remain popular for the teenagers of Woodsboro, as a copy of Clerks II can be seen in in the background in Kirby’s home as a part of her DVD collection. Of course, it’s not entirely clear how these movies can exist in the Scream universe, as Gale Weathers actually meets Jay and Silent Bob in a scene from Scream 3.

It gets deeper than that. The real Wes Craven appears as himself in Smith’s 2001 movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, directing a fictional version of Scream 4 ten years before doing it for real. Smith later placed a VHS copy of Scream 3 in the background of a scene from the 2004 film Jersey Girl, similarly to how his Clerks movies appeared in multiple Scream flicks.

Related Article: Kevin Smith: The Next Batman Movie Needs Mr. Freeze

8Wes Craven had a cameo (but it was cut)

Fans of Wes Craven will be able to spot the legendary director in the first three Scream movies. Craven had a particularly funny cameo in the original movie as Fred the janitor in the hat and sweater, which was an obvious nod to A Nightmare on Elm Street. He went on to have cameos in Scream 2 and Scream 3 as well, playing a doctor and a tourist in each of those movies.

For Scream 4, Craven had taken to Twitter prior to production to ask the fans to choose the role for his cameo. This resulted in a special appearance by Craven playing a coroner in the film at the Randall house crime scene, shown leaving the room upon Dewey’s arrival. Unfortunately, the scene was deleted from the final cut of the film, but can be found in the special features on the home video release.

Related Article: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) is Still Horrifying 22 Years Later!

9Hayden Panettiere’s character Kirby probably survived

As the “best friend” archetype, Kirby’s survival odds weren’t exactly in her favor. Still, she manages to almost make it until the end of the movie before one of the Ghostface killers stabs her repeatedly in the stomach. We last see her bleeding out on the ground, leaving the audience with the impression poor Kirby has died from the stab wounds.

“Not so fast,” director Wes Craven said metaphorically about Kirby’s supposed death. On the DVD commentary track for the film, Craven revealed that a scene from the shooting script revealed Kirby actually survived the assault, but it was axed during production. “As you can see, Hayden was still moving,” the director pointed out, stopping short of definitively saying if the character is still alive. Perhaps Craven was saving her for his planned followup film…

Related Article: Super Lotto Winner Hides Identity With ‘Scream’ Mask

10Scream 4 was meant to start a new movie trilogy

With low odds of ever seeing another Scream sequel, it appears the original timeline officially concludes with Scream 4. However, Wes Craven was looking the movie as a new beginning rather than the series ending. The plan at the time was for Scream 4 to be the start of a new trilogy of movies, and the filmmaker had already started devising possible concepts for the potential sequels.

Sadly, Craven passed away in 2015, making Scream 4 the acclaimed horror director’s final film. Without Craven at the helm, potential sequel plans were cancelled, and it’s incredibly unlikely we’ll ever see a Scream 5. The series was rebooted by MTV as a TV show in 2015, and if the franchise ever returns to the big screen with a new movie, chances are it will be a remake.


Check out our lists for Halloween II and III, Tales from the Crypt, and so much more!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.