Scream, starring Drew Barrymore, is one of the best horror films of this generation. Helmed by Wes Craven, this slasher film marked the beginning of a franchise that has become a sort of guilty pleasure for movie lovers.
The film stood out in a lot of ways, but most importantly, it successfully revived the horror genre, which had become a little stale. The director and the creative heads deftly made use of scare tactics for maximum effect. This was not just limited to the audience, though. Even the cast was unaware of the identity of the actor who played Ghostface, which only added to the atmosphere the film aimed to create.
Why were the Scream actors afraid of working with Ghostface?
Wes Craven‘s 1996 flick breathed life into slasher films. The project boasted names like Drew Barrymore, Courteney Cox, and Neve Campbell, among others.
The plot revolves around a series of murders committed by someone wearing a face mark resembling a ghost. One of the first to fall victim to the killer is Barrymore’s Casey Becker. As the protagonist, Sidney Prescott’s mother’s death anniversary approaches, the number of gruesome murders only increases.
The film celebrated 25 years in 2021. The creative minds behind the project got together for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, touching upon a number of topics that contributed to the film’s success.
The producer, Marianne Maddalena, made a crucial revelation, that the actors on set did not know who was playing Ghostface, the murderer. Since the actor, Roger Jackson, expertly weaved in and out of the set without being seen, the fear that the cast felt translated onto the screen.
“We hid him. We had separate rooms. He was never around. He was never at craft services. He was absolutely incognito. It made it scary for the actors, and Wes just got better performances out of them. It’s a completely different thing than a script supervisor reading the lines. He has an amazing voice, but I don’t know how menacing he would be in person, you know?” she said.
This was a conscious choice, of course, mainly on the part of the director, who had to be cajoled into taking up the director’s role. The decision paid off, as the film went on to become the highest-grossing slasher flick until its reboot broke the record in 2018.
Wes Craven had initially refused to direct the film
Prior to his work in Scream, Craven was best known for helming the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. This project almost did not get off the ground because Craven read the script and refused it, believing it to be too dark.
Kevin Williamson wrote the script for the film, and it became the subject of intense bidding. Finally, Miramax Studio won the rights and wanted Craven to bring it to life. Craven initially refused it because he wanted to move away from the genre.
Moreover, while the film had comedic moments, the plot was quite brutal. During the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Maddalena added that by the time he read the script again a few months later, Barrymore being attached to the project helped him change his mind.
“Wes was very adamant about not wanting to do a horror movie next. He wanted to get out of the horror ghetto, as he called it. So he passed on it right away. A couple of months later he read it again and they had attached Drew Barrymore and he just felt like, well, why not? He really enjoyed that work and he knew he was good at it, so he never thought twice about it once he accepted the job,” she said.
The film became hugely successful, despite its slow start. With time, its popularity has only grown, and it has spawned several sequels and reboots, where the original cast might return.
Scream, streaming on Paramount+.
