The Scream franchise is widely popular due to the “who dun it” storyline that keeps you guessing till the end. The iconic Ghostface mask is one that even if you haven’t seen the movies, you know what it’s from. It’s sold at every store during the Halloween season.
Recently the franchise was brought back to life with Scream V and VI. They were both successful at the box office and have led to a 7th film in development. We can thank Wes Craven for this franchise we know and love. Today, we dive into 7 interesting facts you may not have known about the Scream franchise.
Wes Craven turned down the project twice
As hard as it may seem, Wes Craven wasn’t interested in directing the first Scream movie at the time. He wanted to step away from gore films for a while. He rejected it the first time because it was too dark and violent. He then rejected it a second time but the reason for it is unknown. Fortunately, he changed his mind and helped create the iconic Scream franchise.
Drew Barrymore accidentally called the police while filming
While filming the intro scene in the first film, Barrymore was handed an actual phone connected to a landline. She didn’t realize this at the time, and she unknowingly dialed 911 several times and hung up. It was finally realized once the police arrived on set.
The Ghostface mask was discovered during location scouting
The filmmakers went through several ideas and models but could never find something that stuck. While they were touring several homes that they were thinking of filming at, a producer ran across the mask sitting on the back of a chair. At first, no one else was interested in it but eventually, they decided on it. They would have to make an agreement with the creator of the mask Fun World to negotiate an agreement to use it in the film.
A Nightmare on Elm Street easter eggs appear throughout the films
Many easter eggs are hidden throughout the films and one of them is references to Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven himself makes a cameo in the first film as Fred the janitor who is dressed in the iconic Freddy Krueger Sweater. In the second film, the sweater can be seen hanging on a door. Also in the fourth film, a trivia question is asked about the weapon Freddy Krueger uses.
The cast had no idea who the killer(s) was in Scream 2
As crazy as it sounds, at the time of filming the cast had no idea who the killer(s) was. It was only until the last 10 pages of the script started filming that they were handed a copy to look over. They even had to sign confidential agreements so they couldn’t say anything, and the last 10 pages were printed with light grey ink so it would be hard to produce copies.
Neve Campbell was on the Scream 3 set for only 20 days
At the time, Neve Campbell was busy filming other films such as Drowning Mona and Party of Five. The filmmakers didn’t want to make the film without her. They decided to work out a contract with her that only had her on set for a total of 3 weeks.
Scream 4 was supposed to jumpstart a new trilogy for the franchise
When Wes Craven was helping create Scream 4, he mentioned the idea that he didn’t want it to be a one-off and that he wanted this film to jump-start a new trilogy. It was supposed to be a trilogy that was on its own from the first 3 films. Craven then passed away from brain cancer in 2015 and the production company decided not to move forward with this idea.
The Scream franchise is something that we all know and is still popular even today with new films. These are just some of the many interesting things you may not have known about this franchise. Did you know any of these interesting facts or do you know some that weren’t mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below. Also check out some more facts about the Scream franchise down below.
